Gordonstown Hill
| Operation since | 01/03/2013 |
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| Local Authority Area | Aberdeenshire |
| Technology | Onshore Wind |
| Installed Capacity | 12.5Mw |
About the Developer
| Name of renewable energy project | Gordonstown Hill |
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| Community benefit fund | Gordonstown Hill |
| Project owner(s) | Gordonstown Wind Farm Limited |
| Contact name | Ventient Energy |
| Contact telephone | 0131 243 2390 |
| Contact email | operations@ventientenergy.com |
| Contact address | Ventient Energy |
About The Community Benefit Package
| Please detail any voluntary benefits to the community from the development other than recurring annual fund: | N/A. |
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| Please explain the monetary equivalent of the above benefit(s) and how the figure has been calculated: | N/A. |
| Who are the beneficiary community / communities (those that make up the fund ‘area of benefit’): | The communities of Fyvie and Rothienorman within the Community Councils of Fyvie, Rothienorman & Monquhitter and the communities within the Auchterless, Inverkeithny and Fisherford Community Council area. |
| How was the boundary of the beneficiary community/communities identified: | They were identified by the Developer as closest to the project site and most impacted by it visually. |
| Additional arrangement: | Payment: per MW installed |
| Please confirm the value of your community benefit package as an equivalent rate of payment per MW per year: | 2000 |
| Is this index-linked? | Yes |
Fund Set-Up Process
| What information was provided to make it clear that contributing to community benefit discussions does not affect an individual’s right to express a view on the development: | The Developer reminded representatives of this at community council meetings they attended. |
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| What factors did you consider when identifying the most appropriate individuals and groups to involve in the consultation process on the community benefit package: | The Developer approached the Community Councils and were reliant on Community Councils putting forward individuals to contribute to discussions. |
| Did you provide a clear point of contact for the community from the outset of the process: | Yes. |
| Do you have a written agreement with a local body in relation to the community benefit package, e.g. community council, development trust, or local authority: | Yes |
| If yes, please name the body: | Memorandums of Understanding are in place between Foundation Scotland and each community council. Gordonstown Wind Farm Limited has an Agreement in place with Foundation Scotland. |
| What communication channels did you use to provide feedback and maintain open dialogue with the community during the set-up phase? Please provide details, for example frequency of meetings, who you met with, newsletters, etc: | Meetings were held with each community council and a joint meeting held with both to finalise arrangements. |
| Did the community request support during the fund set up phase: | Yes |
| If yes, were they provided with that support? Please give details of who provided that support: | Foundation Scotland was responsible for the initial set up of the community benefit fund and worked with each community council to establish decision making arrangements for each sub-fund. A Panel for Auchterless, Inverkeithny and Fisherford was established comprising community councillors and other residents not involved with the community council. Fyvie, Rothienorman & Monquhitter Community Council opted for a sub group of the Community Council to operate as its decision-making body. Each of these bodies is responsible for determining fund strategy and spend in each area. |
| Have aims or priorities been determined for the Fund: | Yes |
| If yes, please state what they are: | • Enhance quality of life for local residents; |
| If yes, please state how you reached agreement on these with the community: | These aims, offered by Foundation Scotland, were felt to be sufficiently broad and wide to be inclusive of all community led activity that was benefitting and improving the community. The Auchterless ,Inverkeithny and Fisherford community has since undertaken a community planning process and has designated funds towards particular strategic projects. |
Governance & Administration
| Please give details of the process for awarding funds to eligible causes / initiatives: | Grants are available for a range of activities that benefit the local community. The lower limit for grants is £250 but neither sub- Fund has an upper limit set. Grants can be multi-year in nature, usually for no more than three years. To be eligible to apply for a grant applicants are expected to: Micro-grants are administered directly by the Auchterless, Inverkeithny and Fisherford Community Council. Applications are by letter. |
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| Please outline the distribution method: | Open grants programmes,Mico-grants |
| What is the frequency of award making: | Auchterless, Inverkeithny and Fisherford operate a rolling programme. Fyvie, Rothienorman & Monquhitter tend to operate two rounds each year. Both arrangements are subject to change, depending on community needs and opportunity. |
| How did you ensure there was an appropriate governance and administration process in place to handle the funds? Please give details of any support you provided to ensure these were in place: | Gordonstown Wind Farm Ltd contracted Foundation Scotland to hold the funds under their charitable governance and supports the communities in deciding on distribution arrangements and award making. The Foundation is an independent charity with expertise in working with communities to make awards and manage community funds. The Foundation manages over 40 community benefit funds from renewable energy projects. The application process, grant administration, Fund reporting and review are all supported by Foundation Scotland with award decisions recommended by local Panel. |
| Who administers the fund? (Who holds the fund and makes payments to local causes?): | Foundation Scotland administers the Fund although the micro-grants administration is devolved locally to the Auchterless, Inverkeithny and Fisherford Community Council. |
| Is this a third party: | Yes |
| Who makes decisions on which causes receive funds? If this is a local group (e.g. Community Panel, Committee or Board) please give the name of the group, details of its make-up and how people can come on/off the group: | Each community has its own bespoke decision making arrangements as described above. The Auchterless, Inverkeithny and Fisherford Panel is comprised of 3 members of the Community Council and 5 other volunteer representatives. The preference is that the community councillors do not form a majority on the Panel. Members serve for a period of 2-4 years before being replaced. The Panel is bound by a Terms of Reference that is kept under Review by Foundation Scotland, the Community Council and the Panel itself. The sub-group of the Fyvie, Rothienorman & Monquhitter Community Council comprises7 members of the Communtiy Council and operates under the Constitution of the Community Council. |
| Who is eligible to receive funds: | Constituted non-profit groups,Un-constituted non-profit groups,Individuals |
| If Other, please specify: | |
| Please state which of the following are made public: | Minutes of award making meetings,Annual reports,Details of awards made,Financial statements,Details of project achievements |
| If these are available online, please provide a link to the relevant website: | Minutes of award making meetings,Annual reports,Details of awards made,Financial statements,Details of project achievements |
Monitoring & Review
| What processes is in place to ensure the impact of individual awards and the fund as a whole are measured: | All awardees must fill in and submit a completion report that provides information on their project’s outcomes and achievements. Multi-year projects must provide annual reports as a minimum. The information from these reports is presented to the Panel at their meetings and features in Fund annual reports (see below). |
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| Do you receive an annual report on fund spend or, if you are the fund administrator, do you produce one: | Yes, an annual report will be produced and made available on the Fund website and sent to the project owner and each Community Council. The report will cover fund spend, impact achieved, promotional activities and fund balance. |
| How do you encourage a regular review of the fund spend, priorities, administration and governance processes: |