Vattenfall has announced a series of public exhibitions in November for its proposed 65-turbine Glenmarkie wind farm, giving local residents an opportunity to learn more about the 481MW project and provide feedback on early design proposals.
The events will take place across multiple communities to discuss the development’s potential benefits, including an annual £2.4m community fund, £4.1m in yearly business rates, and carbon savings equivalent to 350,000 tonnes of CO₂.
Vattenfall’s lead project development manager Simon Lejeune said: “The project is in the very initial stages of design, so we’re keen to engage with the community as early as possible to ensure that their consultation feedback has the most potential to influence the design and delivery of the scheme. We will listen carefully to people’s feedback and build a clear picture of the areas we need to focus on from a community perspective.”
He added that Vattenfall is aware of potential local concerns such as construction traffic and will discuss mitigation measures during the exhibitions.
Project manager Lucy Blake said: “In addition to designing our projects sensitively from a community perspective, we’re committed to minimising any environmental impacts and exploring opportunities for habitat enhancements. We believe there is potential for a unique peatland restoration project at Glenmarkie.”
Public events will be held from 11–13 November in Laggan, Glenmoriston, Inverness, and Strathdearn, with exhibition materials and feedback forms available online at Vattenfall’s project website.