Communities surrounding the site where ScottishPower intends to build Europe’s largest wind farm could benefit from a £6.25 million windfall if the project is approved. It has been learned that the community pay-out would be the biggest yet for any renewable energy project in the UK, and would be used to help local education programmes, charities and environmental projects. Thousands of homeowners living close to the proposed Harestanes wind farm in Dumfries and Galloway, which would comprise 94 turbines capable of generating 250MW of electricity, could stand to benefit from the massive pay- out.

ScottishPower currently operates similar schemes successfully at its established wind farms and has confirmed it intends to offer £1,000 per MW per annum, indexed linked over the 25-year life-span of the wind farm. Currently in discussions with Dumfries and Galloway Council, the company says it wants to ensure that the funds are used to secure long-term benefits for communities, and wants the money to be administered by a trust including community representatives, ScottishPower and the council. They also claim that more than half of residents interviewed at exhibitions of the project held in Moffat, Parkgate, Johnstonebridge and Thornhill were in favour of the wind farm, twice as many as those opposing the plans. The company expects a decision from the Scottish Executive, who consider all wind-farm applications over 50MW, before the end of this year. Janice McLaughlin, ScottishPower’s Harestanes project manager, said: "We’ve been impressed by the level of interest shown at the exhibitions and the detailed nature of questions put to us."