VIEWS SOUGHT ON LEITHENWATER WIND FARM PLANS
VIEWS SOUGHT ON LEITHENWATER WIND FARM PLANS
Local residents are being invited to view plans for a new Wind Energy Hub to the northeast of Peebles. The plans from Belltown Power will be on display for two days in mid April and the company are keen to get local feedback. The Belltown team will be on hand at the public exhibitions to answer any questions local residents may have and to gather views on the proposal. The exhibition will include detailed information about the project including visualisations from several viewpoints.
Commenting on the consultation, Peter Thomas, Senior Development Manager at Belltown Power said, “This is our first consultation event and we are keen to hear what local residents think of our plans for the Leithenwater development. We are trying to reach out to as many residents as we can to get their views. We’re holding in-person exhibitions in Eddleston, Innerleithen and Peebles as well as a virtual exhibition on our website and we have posted out an invitation and feedback form to households across the area.”
The site currently comprises commercial forestry, open moorland and sheep farming within the Leithenwater valley area. The project will consist of up to 13 turbines with maximum tip heights of 200m. We will work together with the local community and the landowners – Rosebery Estates – to deliver a project that maximises local benefits and clean energy, whilst sympathetically protecting and enhancing the natural environment.
A scoping report was submitted to the Scottish Government in September 2022.
Commenting further, Peter Thomas, said, “We are fully committed to a full community benefit package that includes £5K per MW installed per year for the 40-year lifetime of the project. We’ve also developed a ground-breaking community ownership package that enables local communities to take an ownership stake so that they’re really invested in the project and so it brings tangible benefits to the heart of the community.”
The online virtual exhibition will run on the website from 4 April to 3 May 2023 showing all the exhibition materials and allowing residents to leave feedback.
Public Exhibitions
We would like to invite you to join us in-person to meet the team and ask any questions
• 18 April, Eddleston Village Hall, 9am-12noon
• 18 April, Innerleithen Memorial Hall, 2-7.30pm
• 19 April, Peebles RFC 19 Eastgate, 9am-7pm
Come join us at one of these events and see how your community can contribute to tackling climate change in a significant way through hosting and part-owning a modern wind energy hub.