A planning application for a major wind farm in South Lanarkshire has been submitted to the council.
Planning officials are expected to consider the proposals by Banks Renewables to develop the 37-turbine Bodinglee Wind Farm and battery storage development near Douglas.
If approved, the company say it will be among the most powerful and efficient onshore wind farms in the UK, providing more than 200,000 households with green electricity annually.
The have also said it could displace the equivalent of around 70,000 petrol cars’ annual CO2 emissions from the UK’s electricity supply grid.
Over the 40-year lifespan of the proposed wind farm, Banks Renewables claim local residents could save an estimated £2.5-4.5 million each year on their energy bills through a community-owned organisation - Clydesdale Community Energy Transition Company (CCETco)
Robin Winstanley, sustainability and external affairs manager at Banks Renewables, said: “We believe we have presented a very strong case for approving this scheme, which would deliver significant environmental, social and economic benefits to local communities in South Lanarkshire that would help tackle climate change and drive down energy bills for local households.
“The blended benefits package which would result from Bodinglee Wind Farm is innovative in its approach, looking beyond the traditional model of issuing grants from a central pot, seeking to reshape how a just energy transition could directly benefit local households and the wider community.”
In addition to the creation of CCETco, Banks Renewables has offered to gift a 1 per cent stake in the wind farm to the community - and a further 9 per cent will be available to purchase at market rate if desired, which would boost the community funding element above the £53m figure.
Robin added: “Our vision for the site is not just to create a wind farm, but for Bodinglee to deliver sustainable, positive and transformative change for South Lanarkshire.
“Since we commenced development of the project in 2021 we have been meeting with and listening to local communities, businesses, and a wide variety of people locally, and we hope we have exceeded their expectation of what Bodinglee Wind Farm can contribute to South Lanarkshire and we hope that people locally will support our application to build what would be a nationally significant green energy development on the UK and Scotland’s journey to net zero.”
To learn more about Bodinglee Wind Farm, visit www.banksgroup.co.uk/bodinglee
