Faw Side
Current Status
Community Windpower submitted a Section 36 planning application for Faw Side Community Wind Farm to the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) in May 2019. The application seeks permission for up to 45 turbines, with a generating capacity of 315 MW.
An ‘Additional Information’ request was made via Regulation 19 by the ECU, following formal consultation with statutory and non-statutory consultees and, in May 2020, this 'Additional Information' was formally submitted to the ECU.
Faw Side Community Wind Farm was referred to The Scottish Government Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) on the 20th October 2021 and has now been through the inquiry process. A report has now been submitted to the Scottish Ministers and a decsion will be made in due course.
Project Information
Faw Side Community Wind Farm consists of 45 wind turbines, 40 of these will be 200m to tip, with the remaining five turbines being 179.5m to tip. This design was amended from the scoping proposal by reducing the number of turbines from 49 to 45, and reducing the tip heights of five turbines to reduce visual impacts from key receptors. The proposal also includes an energy storage facility to improve grid stability and benefit renewable electricity production.
The proposed wind farm would make a significant contribution towards meeting Scotland’s renewable energy and climate change targets.
Site Location
Faw Side Community Wind Farm is located on the border of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders, approximately 6.7km north of Langholm and 17.8km south west of Hawick.
Environmental Benefits
The proposed development will employ the latest modern wind turbine technology to create an optimised, efficient and productive site. As a result, Faw Side Community Wind Farm would contribute towards achieving Scotland’s renewable energy and climate change targets by producing enough electricity to power 343,000 homes annually and would offset over 558,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum which equates to 22.3 million tonnes during its 40-year operational life - compared to fossil fuel mixed electricity generation.
The proposal will provide a significant contribution to the Scottish net-zero emissions target for 2045 and UK target for 2050, in addition to the Scottish renewable energy target of 100% equivalent.
Economic Benefits
Faw Side Community Wind Farm will contribute significant financial benefit to the local communities through a community benefit fund of £14m over its lifetime, which equates to £350,000 every year.
Each community council would need its own trust fund to would manage and administer the funding for its area.
In addition, Community Windpower will look to invest in the development of community assets with local communities, such as broadband and electric vehicle charging points.
The proposed wind farm will contribute £157m to the Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders Councils through business rates, during its operational lifetime.
It will also create new employment opportunities and support local businesses through Community Windpower’s ‘Buy Scottish’ Policy. Further details on this can be seen here.
Further information
Faw Side Community Wind Farm has its own dedicated website where further information can be found, including all planning application and additional information documentation:
