Stone sets out proposals for onshore energy community benefits

Far North MP Jamie Stone has tabled an amendment to the UK Government's Energy Bill calling for new measures to ensure that local communities benefit from onshore wind farms.

It has been co-signed with the Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Spokesperson, Wera Hobhouse MP.

The amendment, tabled at report stage, calls on the Government to "lay before Parliament a report setting out proposals for ensuring that local communities benefit from onshore wind farms".

It suggests that the proposals should include recycling a percentage of the gross revenue of new wind farms, solar, hydro, and other renewable developments back into the community through benefit funds, and widening the distance of communities around new renewable developments which receive shares of these community benefit funds.

The amendment comes after the Scottish Liberal Democrat spring conference passed a motion calling for 5% of the gross revenue of new windfarm developments to be paid to community benefit funds. Proposals to this effect, put forward by Scottish Liberal Democrat councillor Angus Macdonald have also been endorsed by Highland council.

Commenting, Mr Stone said:

"The Far North has always been a prime location for new renewable developments. It's something that makes us proud. However, the Far North has also always suffered from some of the worst levels of fuel poverty in the country, an issue that long pre-dates the Cost of Living crisis.

"It makes little sense to me that, as a massive producer of green energy to the rest of the UK and overseas, local residents should struggle to pay their energy bills.

"The Government must intervene and ensure that new renewable developments, which inevitably cause much disruption within a community, are sufficiently giving back."