Residents urged to propose fund ideas

Local residents are being encouraged to think big at a special drop-in event for the public being held from 11.30am to 7pm on Thursday 10th March 2016, Stornoway Town Hall. The event will provide an opportunity for local people to give their thoughts on how best to spend the money arising from the community benefit and profits from the community ownership of 20% of the Stornoway Wind Farm.

Residents in the Stornoway Trust area are invited to drop in and meet representatives of the Stornoway Trust and Lewis Wind Power to discuss the Community Benefit and the distribution of profits from the proposed Stornoway Wind Farm ownership option. Both Community Benefit and payments resulting from part ownership are in addition to the Stornoway Wind Farm rental payments, the latter being shared equally between the Stornoway Trust and the crofting shareholders in the affected common grazing areas.

The Stornoway Trust are currently in the process of looking at ways of establishing a Community Fund to receive and manage these payments, details of which will be available at the open day.

Darren Cuming, project director at Lewis Wind Power said: “Lewis Wind Power are making good progress developing the Stornoway Wind Farm project and now is the time to think about how the benefits of the project can be realised by the community. All ideas and suggestions, big or small, regarding the Community Fund, how it should be distributed and the type of organisation or projects which will be eligible to apply will be most welcome. We look forward to welcoming people to the Stornoway Town Hall.”