Highland Council says it will cost £90,000 for a renewable projects map updated ‘monthly’ that is part of a £278,000 annual bill to keep the public fully informed
Highland Council believes it will cost £90,000 a year to keep a real time map updated “monthly” about the multi-billion wave of proposed renewable energy developments in the region.
That sum is part of a larger £278,000 annual bill the local authority estimates it will need to pay just to keep the public fully informed that also includes possible additional consultation and training for community councils
Serious concerns and anger over the lack of clarity about the intentions and impact of the new renewables developments on the Highlands sparked a motion demanding the council is fully transparent on the issue.
As the planning authority, the council sees every single planning application made and has to come to some kind of decision of them though some are decided by the energy consents unit in Edinburgh.
A motion by Councillor Helen Crawford managed to secure from the council real time mapping, additional or improved consultation with communities and training for community councils.
Her proposals won the backing of more than 70 community councils – an unheard level of support in the Highlands – but the continued opposition left many people baffled.
Essentially she was demanding officials transfer information to a map so so that anyone could see what was in the works and whether they supported or were against the plans.
However, the motion still had to be run through the system to check if there were any financial implications and it has now come back with a hefty bill.
The report was written by Malcolm Macleod, Assistant Chief Executive – Place; Dafydd Jones, Area Planning Manager (North); David Mudie, Area Planning Manager (South) and Rhoda Banfro, Principal Solicitor.
They said: “It is proposed that one Geographic Information Systems Officer (HC7) and one Professional Support Officer (HC6) be appointed. This would come at a cost of £90,000 per annum.”
So that is £90,000 a year to maintain a map once a month so what about the cost of offering community councils training?
“On-line planning training already exists, and it is intended to engage with providers to provide specific training on renewable energy developments. This will be arranged as soon as possible, and this is currently being progressed.
“The cost of the training utilising an external provider is estimated circa £10,000, which will form an in-year budget pressure.”
That £10,000 brings the total to £100,000. Then there is the cost and staff to provide “assistance and support for communities in their engagement with transmission companies and energy generators”.
That would mean three “professional members of staff” join the Community Place Plan team with their responsibilities and specific roles to be determined but the “resource implication of the above is likely to be £178,000” a year.
