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The wind farm is planned for the site of a former coal mine OnPath Energy has submitted a scoping report for a yet-to-be-named wind farm on the site of a former coal mine northeast of New Cumnock, Scotland. The developer will collaborate with local schools and community groups to select the projects name. Originally part of Banks Group, which began coal mining in 1976, OnPath Energy said it is carefully approaching the site, understanding the importance of the transition to renewable energy in the local community from the coal industry that preceded it. The proposed site itself is situated on the restored Garleffan and Grievehill open-cast coal mine. The developer plans to host a series of consultations and workshops, ensuring community input is at the heart of plans to develop benefits to directly support local needs. If approved, the project could generate up to 161.5GW/h of electricity per year, enough to power around 55,000 homes, while also delivering up to £5,000/MW annually in community funding to support local initiatives. OnPath is committed to shared community ownership with all its onshore wind projects, providing 1% shared free equity to local communities and a further share at market value. Ewan Robertson, project manager for the Cumnock and Doon Valley wind farm proposal, said: This project has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for the local community throughout its operational lifespan which will enhance the overall package of benefits we are committed to delivering from our already consented projects at Lethans and Lethans Extension. Our goal is to go beyond simply building a wind farm, we want to create a project that recognises the rich mining history of the local area and plays a part in the lands transition to being a provider of clean energy. “To effectively accomplish this, we are actively engaging with local stakeholders to listen to community views, and how we can translate the feedback into making this project a valuable local asset. As we look ahead, our priority is to continue this dialogue and speak with as many people as possible, incorporating both concerns and positive feedback into our proposals before submitting a planning application. The proposed wind farm, located north of New Cumnock and east of Cumnock is set to comprise of up to eight turbines, with a maximum tip-height of 250 metres, making them some of the most efficient in the UK. OnPath Energy will hold two rounds of public consultations, giving residents the opportunity to shape proposals. The first round of consultations begins on 22 April in New Cumnock, followed by sessions in Lugar and Logan on 23 April, and concluding in Netherthird on 24 April. These sessions will give local people the opportunity to share what matters most to them, with all input feeding into the design process. A second round, scheduled for October 2025, will present the wind farm proposal incorporating community feedback on the design of the site and how the community benefit and shared ownership could work. |
