How wind farms benefit funds should be spent in Caithness

[MerlinScot]

If you're interested in having your say about the topic, pls follow this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M78STHL

[Rheghead]

Your priorities in Q7 not working.

I've not got a problem with how the community fund is spent except that the money should not be given to groups whose activities have a business conflict with the original wind farm or other companies in the renewable energy sector. How that is achieved is a contentious issue.

[ywindythesecond]

Community benefit should be used to compensate those members of the community who suffer directly from the impacts of the windfarms. Once that has been dealt with there will be little or no funds to disburse.
Take a drive around Baillie Windfarm and see for yourselves.

[EOS]

www.windbyte.co.uk/housing.html

[cptdodger]

If you're interested in having your say about the topic, pls follow this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M78STHL

I always thought the idea behind wind farms was to reduce the cost of electricity to householders. Please excuse my ignorance on this subject, but this wind farm benefit, does it just get paid to householders that have turbines built near them ? And what is the community fund, is it paid by the people that actually build the wind farms ? And if so, should it not just be paid to the householders that are affected in some way ?

[MerlinScot]

I always thought the idea behind wind farms was to reduce the cost of electricity to householders. Please excuse my ignorance on this subject, but this wind farm benefit, does it just get paid to householders that have turbines built near them ? And what is the community fund, is it paid by the people that actually build the wind farms ? And if so, should it not just be paid to the householders that are affected in some way ?

Cptdodger, I would like to reply to you but I can't, I totally ignore how these funds are used at the moment.
That link was posted on my facebook news feed, to be shared with people living in Caithness. It is a survey so I think it is meant to acknowledge what Caithnesians' opinions are about the topic.

As a matter of fact, does anyone know if we receive some funds from the wind farms? I am 100% sure that in Sutherland part of the funds are used for education courses.

[pat]

How do you prove who is actually affected by the turbines?

Do you count the people who do not like them and feel they spoil the view - people driving by, living within a mile or ten miles?

Do you count the people who say the ground vibrates?

Do you pay the people who have a pigeon killed when it flew into a turbine?

I think the turbine money should be used to help the communities - help insulate homes, build playgrounds, community transport, improve and help all in the areas covered by the turbines but do not take over the work of councils, housing associations.

The area in which I live are having 3 turbines built at the moment, one has been commissioned, second one hopefully today, the fighting is ongoing as to what the money is going to be used to fund.

[MerlinScot]

How do you prove who is actually affected by the turbines?

I would say..residents in that area? You can't count people driving by, they could come from anywhere. The fund should be given to local communities near the windfarms. At the moment I have no idea where the fund is going concerning the windfarms in Caithness. If someone has a link to provide about the topic, it is very well appreciated.

[EOS]

I always thought the idea behind wind farms was to reduce the cost of electricity to householders. Please excuse my ignorance on this subject, but this wind farm benefit, does it just get paid to householders that have turbines built near them ? And what is the community fund, is it paid by the people that actually build the wind farms ? And if so, should it not just be paid to the householders that are affected in some way ?

You will pay a Green tax on your electricity bill, it is 11% that's where the subsidies for the wind farms
and the community fund comes from it's your money.

[ywindythesecond]

I would say..residents in that area? You can't count people driving by, they could come from anywhere. The fund should be given to local communities near the windfarms. At the moment I have no idea where the fund is going concerning the windfarms in Caithness. If someone has a link to provide about the topic, it is very well appreciated.

You say you can't count the people driving by but why not? They are contributing to the fund as is anyone who uses electricity or buys anything that needed electricity to make it.

[MerlinScot]

You say you can't count the people driving by but why not? They are contributing to the fund as is anyone who uses electricity or buys anything that needed electricity to make it.

The topic is about who should use the fund, not who is contributing to it.
It might be just my opinion but I think the funds exist because people around the windfarms have to stand some inconvenient disadvantages.... People driving by don't......

[Rheghead]

You will pay a Green tax on your electricity bill, it is 11% that's where the subsidies for the wind farms
and the community fund comes from it's your money.

The community fund is not dependent on any renewable energy incentives because they are not guaranteed for the future. If there is enough Renewable Obligation certificates to meet the Government's obligation then the value of the ROCs will reduce to zero (I wish...). Also the RO is subject to political manipulation. So it is like the private citizen who wisely keeps his spending in check because they should not rely on overtime to pay for luxuries.

[cptdodger]

You will pay a Green tax on your electricity bill, it is 11% that's where the subsidies for the wind farms
and the community fund comes from it's your money.

Let me see if I have got this right - I pay my electricity bill, then a further 11% of that bill on top? And then that money goes to into a fund to pay out to people / communities near a wind farm? If that's right then what is the point of having wind farms if they make our electricity bills dearer. And why is there a community fund in the first place, being cynical is that not just a bribe so that they get planning permission without too much opposition from the "locals" to build them ?

[MerlinScot]

If that's right then what is the point of having wind farms if they make our electricity bills dearer. And why is there a community fund in the first place, being cynical is that not just a bribe so that they get planning permission without too much opposition from the "locals" to build them ?

That's something I always wondered about and I never got a reply from anywhere

[Rheghead]

And why is there a community fund in the first place, being cynical is that not just a bribe so that they get planning permission without too much opposition from the "locals" to build them ?

As far as I understand, the community benefit is never mentioned at planning inquiries as it should never prejudice the outcome of the hearing. So not a bribe.

[cptdodger]

As far as I understand, community funds are never mentioned at planning inquiries as they should not prejudice the outcome of the hearing. So not a bribe.

Maybe not, but if I know it exists, and you know the community fund exists, it's a pretty safe bet if somebody is trying to get planning permission for a wind farm, the residents of said area will know already know as well, so it probably does not have to be mentioned.

[Rheghead]

Maybe not, but if I know it exists, and you know the community fund exists, it's a pretty safe bet if somebody is trying to get planning permission for a wind farm, the residents of said area will know already know as well, so it probably does not have to be mentioned.

It will probably affect public opinion as it probably is designed to do but it is the reporter's decision and it is debateable whether public opinion, especially of those living close to the development who will benefit the most from such community funds should have a dominant effect on the decision.

In balance, lots of things affect public opinion, even negative opinion, you only have to look at the distortions of facts, figures and reasoning to realise that. I've even seen flags and banners from anti-wind groups inside council planning meetings when sensitive decisions are being made. Now that isn't affecting the public's opinion, rather it is meant to prejudice the hearing.

[cptdodger]

I have actually nothing against wind farms, as I said on another thread, I love looking at them. I'm just trying to get my head round why there is a community fund or fund of any sort. That probably is because I grew up just outside a city (known for Jute, Jam and Journalism !) So, in reality Dundee is filled with factories and mills, albeit mostly derelict now, as all that is left now is the journalism. But I highly doubt when the mills or factories were being built, any residents were given money from a fund, just in case they were put out !

And I think it's that reason I am having difficulty understanding, as I said, why there is a fund at all, but that could also be because I like the windmills, and personally speaking I would rather have a hundred windmills outside my front door than one nuclear plant !

[Alice in Blunderland]

A link to a community benefit fund that is already up and running in Caithness.

http://www.tannachanddistrict.org/mw...munity_benefit

Another benefit fund

http://www.halkirkdistrictbenefitfund.org.uk/

Another benefit fund up and running is Watten no web link sorry.

[ywindythesecond]

Let me see if I have got this right - I pay my electricity bill, then a further 11% of that bill on top? And then that money goes to into a fund to pay out to people / communities near a wind farm? If that's right then what is the point of having wind farms if they make our electricity bills dearer. And why is there a community fund in the first place, being cynical is that not just a bribe so that they get planning permission without too much opposition from the "locals" to build them ?

All your answers about your electricity bill are here cpt. http://www.windfarms.me.uk/wind8.html Runs for 22 minutes.
And you are right to be cynical.

As regards benefitting the affected communities, Halkirk gets the benefit from Causeymire, and Spittal folk have to live with it.

Also, Highland Council had at least a proposed policy for Community benefit where the community nearest got a big share, the wider local community got a lesser share and the lions share went to the centres of population which never see windfarms on their doorstep. Not sure if it is adopted yet.