Since the beginning of the project we’ve endeavored to work positively with communities throughout Orkney, and keep people informed about its developments every step of the way.
We’ve continued our engagement with community councils and have been out to a number of areas on the Orkney mainland, as well as island communities, several times since 2018 to encourage ongoing discussion, answer questions and help clarify any concerns.
We’ve continued our engagement with community councils and have been out to a number of areas on the Orkney mainland, as well as island communities, several times since 2018 to encourage ongoing discussion, answer questions and help clarify any concerns.
We will continue to engage with the public as the project enters its final investment phase. If approved by Elected Members next year, the projects team will continue working closely with Orkney communities as it progresses into it’s construction phase.
Community Drop-In Sessions
September 2023
Thank you to those that attended our events in Kirkwall, Hoy, Eday, Rendall and Westray. We had several very interesting discussions, and hope that we were able to answer questions along the way.
If you were unable to attend these sessions or would like to view the display, you can download a pdf here. Likewise, we can be emailed at orkneywindfarms@orkney.co.uk if you have further questions.
Community Benefit Fund
2021-2022
Over the summer of 2021, we held community consultations to get public feedback the ‘location-specific’ Community Benefit Fund. These consultations were in line with the Scottish Government’s Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments.
A recommendation by Council officers was presented to elected members at the Policy and Resources committee on 21 June 2022. This was then ratified at Full Council on 5 July 2022. You can read the results in item 18 from the meeting here.
Pre-Application Consultations
2019-2020
Pre-Application Consultations (PACs) were carried out at the end of 2019 and into the summer of 2020 for all three sites. The feedback from these consultations fed into the planning applications submitted for each site.
Planning applications were submitted in 2020 and 2021, and all three were subsequently called in by the Scottish Government on our request. Quanterness and Hoy received planning in December 2021 and Faray received planning in December 2022.
Wind Farm Launch Events
2018-2019
Throughout 2018 and 2019 there were a series of public consultation events held at various communities across Orkney. The purpose of these events were to launch the initial wind farm project, discuss how it could generate significant income and community benefit for Orkney, and give members of the public the opportunity to ask questions.
The project has changed significantly since the early days of its development. Detailed investigations, such as bird and ground surveys, have played a significant role in the current design of each wind farm.
