Birks Scheme Proposes £42k Yearly for Aberfeldy Common Good
17.02.10
In a news release issued on 17 February on behalf of the Urlar Hydro project in Aberfeldy, Linda Bruce of the Platform PR company maintained that ‘the run of river hydro scheme planned for the Birks of Aberfeldy will generate an average of £42,000 each year for the town’s Common Good Fund’.
The 1MW scheme, which received planning permission in 2009, will produce electricity ‘equivalent to supplying one quarter of Aberfeldy’s needs’.
Aberfeldy is due to benefit from the new scheme because a small part of the land needed to house the equipment for the scheme lies on common good land for the town.
The news release continued: “The annual rental payment is based on a percentage of the gross annual revenue from the scheme. Based on average rainfall, this will generate £42,000 per annum – a figure which will rise in line with inflation as the scheme will sell electricity under the recently announced Feed in Tariff.”
Substantial Sum
Neil Fraser of Aberfeldy-based Green Highland Renewables, who are advising the owner/develoer, said: “This would be a real boost to the town, particularly when the community is being asked to take over the running of the town hall. It’s a substantial sum which can be used to provide services for both visitors and local people.
“We were keen to ensure that local people were aware of the money that would be generated for the town each year as a result of their role in the scheme, so they can have a better informed view of the project and its benefits.”
The Aberfeldy Common Good Fund committee will meet on 24 February to discuss the proposed legal agreement, which includes the details of the annual rental payment.
The news release asserted that ‘the run of river scheme will have very little impact on the Birks itself as no dam is needed and the generating equipment and pipes are underground. The pipes largely follow the route of the old water supply, outside the Birks, which took water from the burn in the past.’
It concluded: “The visual impact on the waterfall will be limited as the scheme is designed in such a way as to ensure that abstraction levels vary to maintain a reasonable flow at all times.”
See also: http://commentonline.co.uk/wildlife/QuestionsRaisedOverBirksHydrosPROfferof42kYearly.htm
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