From left to right, Willie Nairn from New Cumnock Community Council.
John Hunter from New Cumnock Development Trust and Colin Davie, Blackwood Wind Farm Ltd.
New Cumnock is set to benefit from funding of around £120,000 per year should proposals for Blackwood Wind Farm, located on land approximately 2km southeast of New Cumnock, be consented.
The agreement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Blackwood Wind Farm Ltd and New Cumnock Development Trust to establish a Community Benefit Fund. This agreement was reached following negotiations involving the New Cumnock Liaison Group, comprising the New Cumnock Development Trust and New Cumnock Community Council.
Proposals for the wind farm are set to go on display on Wednesday, 10th December, from 12pm until 3pm and 5pm until 8pm at the New Cumnock Town Hall, 31-33 Castle, New Cumnock.
Blackwood Wind Farm Limited is proposing a five-turbine wind farm development with a total generating capacity of approximately 24 megawatts (MW). These will have a height to the blade tip of up to 149.9 metres.
Co-located with this will be a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with a capacity of up to 100MW. This will store excess renewable energy, which is inherently intermittent, during periods of low demand and/or peak generation. It will then be released into the electricity grid as required, improving local grid stability and reducing the risk of blackouts.
Responding to feedback from the first consultation event held in June and other studies and technical assessments undertaken, two turbines nearest the town have been dropped, and the tip heights have been reduced from up to 180 metres to up to 149.9 metres.
The proposed development will help address climate change, enhance energy security, lower energy bills, and deliver tangible local economic benefits, including local employment opportunities and the proposed Community Benefit Fund.
The fund will amount to around £4.8 million over the 40-year operational lifetime of the project, but as it is index-linked, it is anticipated that this figure will be considerably higher.
Some suggestions for how this funding could be used, include developing social enterprise activities at the former Trotters building; developing a community-led housing project, building new homes to buy and to let; further developing community-led tourism projects; improving access to sport, health and wellbeing facilities, as well as preventative health services; improving travel/transport infrastructure; supporting access to/provision of good, affordable child care to allow more people to take up job and training opportunities.
New Cumnock Development Trust was established in 2017 to support sustainable development in the community of New Cumnock. Blackwood Wind Farm Ltd is a subsidiary of renewable energy developer, Qair Scotland Ltd.
Blackwood Wind Farm, if consented, could power the equivalent of around 13,600 Scottish homes annually. Additionally, replacing the energy generated by polluting fossil fuels with that generated by clean, green renewable energy could offset around 18,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
As the total generating capacity of the Blackwood Wind Farm project exceeds 50MW, an application for consent will be made to the Scottish Ministers – via the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU) – for determination under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
It is anticipated that it will be submitted in the first quarter of 2026, with East Ayrshire Council as a statutory consultee.
John Hunter, Chair of New Cumnock Development Trust, said:
“We are delighted to have signed this Memorandum of Understanding with Blackwood Wind Farm.
“Delivering around £5 million of community benefit over the lifetime of the project, there is the potential for this funding to be a game-changer for New Cumnock as we look to progress our regeneration masterplan for the town. New Cumnock’s Regeneration Masterplan.
“These current plans include the redevelopment of derelict buildings, supporting education and employment, funding leisure, improving access to sport, health, and wellbeing facilities, and hosting local events and promoting tourism opportunities. Future projects could include building new homes, a healthy living centre, and better transport options – projects that are not only important for the immediate future but also for the next generation.
“It would be good to get an understanding from the community of what they would like to see this funding used for, and we encourage those who are able to attend the forthcoming public consultation event.”
Colin Davie from Blackwood Wind Farm Ltd said:
“Renewable energy projects such as this have the potential to deliver considerable economic benefits locally, as well as tackle the climate emergency and deliver greater energy security through the delivery of clean, green electricity.
“A Community Benefit Fund, as is being proposed, will give the local community an incredible opportunity to deliver a sustainable income stream over which they have full control. Additionally, local employment opportunities will be available in both the construction and operation of the wind farm.
“We have responded to feedback from the first public consultation event held in June by dropping two turbines and reducing tip heights, and would encourage as many people as possible to visit the exhibition to view our proposals.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About Blackwood Wind Farm Ltd
Blackwood Wind Farm Ltd is a subsidiary of renewable energy developer Qair Scotland Ltd, a Scottish-based joint venture between Qair International and EcoProjects Ltd.
Qair is an independent producer of exclusively renewable energy, developing, constructing, and operating wind, solar, hydroelectric, and green hydrogen production projects on its own account.
Qair is active in 21 countries across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. With 780 employees committed to the energy transition, it aims to become an independent leader in renewable energy, tripling its commissioned assets to 3GW by 2027.