RES submits plans to Scottish Government for Longcroft Wind Farm
Longcroft is expected to create a £100 million boost to local economy
RES has submitted a Section 36 planning application for its 19-turbine Longcroft Wind Farm proposal, located approximately 9km north of Lauder in the Scottish Borders. The project, which went public in March 2023 and has since been through detailed site assessment work and two rounds of public consultation, utilises powerful modern turbines to provide an installed capacity of 125.4 MW.
If consented, Longcroft Wind Farm is predicted to deliver £6.3 million of investment within the Scottish Borders during the anticipated 16-month construction period, and approximately £65 million in business rates to Scottish Borders Council over its operational lifetime, supporting vital local services. In addition, RES has proposed a tailored community benefit package worth £627,000 each year.
James Cameron, Senior Development Project Manager at RES, added: "We want to ensure the local area tangibly benefits from this wind farm, and we continue to engage with the surrounding communities on how our tailored community benefit package could be put to best use. This could include RES' unique Local Electricity Discount Scheme (LEDS), which we have found to be the preferred opportunity within the feedback received to date, and offers an annual discount to the electricity bills of those properties closest to the wind farm.
"If consented, Longcroft Wind Farm would inject millions of pounds into the local economy and bring sustained benefits to the surrounding community, including ambitious biodiversity proposals such as peatland restoration, native woodland riparian planting, installation of breeding and resting sites for protected species and enhancement of butterfly habitats."
A statutory consultation period will now be held by the ECU to enable the public, as well as key consultees, to submit formal representations on the proposal.
About RES
RES, a British company, has a long history in Scotland where it has been operating since 1993 and has since developed and/or built 21 wind farms, with a total generating capacity of 597MW. Employing more than 150 people in Scotland, it also exports its knowledge and skills in the renewables industry to 14 countries across the globe. Visit www.res-group.com
