LOCAL BENEFITS
At each wind farm site we design, construct and operate, our goal is to ensure that we create significant environmental, economic and community benefits at the local and global scale>.
Community Ownership
After planning consent for the Den Brook wind farm was announced in December, RES has moved a step closer towards a deal which will allow local people to invest in the wind farm in return for a share in the profits.
We are working with Energy4All, a not-for-profit organisation, with the aim of facilitating the ownership of shares in the wind farm for local residents. Energy4All has already established seven successful wind farm co-operatives across the country, a model which provides an ideal way to satisfy the needs of those communities who want more direct involvement in the generation of renewable energy in their region. If you are interested in receiving information about these shares, please register here.
Generation Capacity and Emission Savings
We are certain that the project will have no negative effects. It will, on the contrary, bring positive benefits to our environment and to the community.
The 18MW wind farm will:
- generate significant ammounts of green energy and carbon dioxide savings
at the end of its life, be dismantled easily and quickly, leaving behind no polluting legacy.
Benefits For Local People
It is hoped that, once consented, construction of Den Brook wind farm will begin in 2010. Throughout the development process, RES has been exploring ways in which the local community can benefit directly from the wind farm once it is operating and has so far proposed a number of initiatives:
‐ RES is in the process of setting up an annual community fund, which will generate £1500 per MW installed per year (£27,000 per annum) for the 25-year lifetime of the project, to be managed by the North Tawton Development Trust and spent on local community projects. This is one way of trying to ensure that local people will receive a direct benefit from having a wind farm in their area, on top of the clear environmental benefits to society as a whole.
‐ Significant improvements to the line owned by Dartmoor Railways to create a new commuter link between Exeter and Okehampton
‐ Employment opportunities during the construction phase, when RES will seek to use local and regional businesses for services such as haulage, civil engineering, electrical works, security, etc. It is our policy to use local contractors and employees wherever possible during the construction phase and we have already had a great deal of interest from civil engineering, transport and plant hire firms in the area. We plan to get stone for the access tracks and hardstandings from Meldon Quarry.
To further increase the opportunities for local residents to receive direct and tangible benefits from the wind farm, RES is considering offering local people the option to buy shares in the wind farm and Energy4All, which is a not-for-profit organisation, would facilitate this. For more information, please see our press release.
Habitat Improvements For Flora And Fauna
In order to protect and enhance the local environment at Den Brook, we will be introducing various mitigation measures and improvements to the site that will create an overall net gain in conservation value. We have been working closely with ornithologists and ecologists to produce a Habitat Management Programme which will be implemented with the cooperation of landowners. Proposed measures include replanting of hedgerows on site (with native tree and shrub species), restoration of habitats and watercourse and woodland management. Where possible, existing tracks have been used for access routes and new grassland strips and vegetation habitats will be encouraged along all tracks, providing foraging areas for animals and insects. In addition, the timing of any work carried out will be planned so as to keep disruption to a minimum. Overall the improvements will provide many beneficial consequences for wildlife at Den Brook.