Cumberhead West Windfarm

Location

Cumberhead West Wind Farm is located within Cumberhead Forest, around 7.7 km west north-west of Douglas, in rural South Lanarkshire. The proposed Development site adjoins an established cluster of wind farms around Hagshaw Hill (known as the ‘Hagshaw Cluster’)

Current Stage

Cumberhead West Wind Farm Ltd is a joint venture between Lanark-based 3R Energy and ScottishPower Renewables (UK) Limited (SPR)

The Section 36 Application was consented by the Scottish Ministers on the 18th November 2021. The Determination Notice and Decision Letter can be viewed here:

Consent has been granted for the construction and operation of Cumberhead West Wind Farm, comprising of 21 wind turbines with tip height not exceeding 200 metres with an installed capacity of approximately 126MW, and an energy storage facility with a capacity of approximately 40MW.

Further details of the project including electronic copies of the EIA Report document and the application and consultation process can be found using the links below.

Project History

In November 2020 Cumberhead West Wind Farm Ltd submitted a Section 36 Application to the Scottish Government for Cumberhead West Wind Farm. The Proposed Development comprises 21 wind turbines with blade tip heights of up to 200 metres and an associated energy storage facility. The Development has potential to deliver over 126 MWs of renewable power, and over 40 MWs of energy storage output capacity.

Community Consultation

Early consultation is key to the way 3R Energy and SPR develop projects and throughout the development process we ensure local communities and stakeholders are given the opportunity to provide feedback and are kept informed of project progress.

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, an online consultation website was developed to provide details of the Proposed Development, progress to date and to answer any questions or receive any comments from the public as well as arranging follow up calls when requested.

The online consultation was advertised in the Lanark Gazette on 25 August and on the same day information leaflets distributed to local residents within 2 km of the site.

Benefits

With established sites nearby, 3R Energy and SPR have a history of working positively with local communities and are keen to create employment opportunities during the construction and operation of the developments that can be delivered locally to benefit those who live near the sites.

The socio-economic assessment for Cumberhead West Wind Farm predicts that the project will result in a substantial investment in South Lanarkshire and Scotland:

It was estimated that during the development and construction phase, the Proposed Development would invest approximately £152 million, that could generate up to:

£13.3 million of net Gross Value Added (GVA) and 202 years of employment in South Lanarkshire; and
£42.6 million GVA and 657 years of employment in Scotland (including South Lanarkshire).

It was estimated that during each year of the operational phase, the Proposed Development would spend around £3.3 million on operations and maintenance. This could generate up to:

£0.7 million and 10 jobs in South Lanarkshire; and
£1.2 million GVA and 18 jobs in Scotland.

The Proposed Development would form part of a wider cluster of onshore wind developments in the area. This presents an opportunity for local suppliers to have continuity of work across multiple projects and encourages local suppliers to diversify into the onshore wind market.
There would also be wider benefits associated with the Proposed Development as a result of the provision of community benefit funding and the potential to invest in the development. This would enable the local communities surrounding the Proposed Development, such as Coalburn, Lesmahagow, Douglas, Glespin, Rigside, and Douglas Water to invest in the local area, and meet the objectives set out in their community action plans. This could involve developing the area’s adventure tourism offering, resulting in increased visitor numbers and tourism.
There would also be benefits to the public sector from payment of non-domestic rates estimated to be worth around £1.3 million each year.