North East – views from the feedback session

We held the third of our regional engagement events with community representatives in the North East of Scotland. These are some of the key points raised by attendees. Do you have any views on the points shared?  

Technologies in Scope, Fund Levels  

• The fund levels should be higher (particularly for battery storage), and consider the potential impacts of developments on an area (eg for BESS). 
• The recommended fund level benchmarks should be index linked to inflation starting now, rather than each fund, and the levels should at least match inflation now. 
• Fund levels should be linked to revenue or profit of the companies. 
• The updated guidance should include detail on repowering or selling of developments.  
• Greater co-ordination is needed between UKG and SG in introducing schemes and guidance on transmission and generation community benefits. 

Running community benefit funds 

• Governance requirements should take into account the size of the fund (£) and the community resources (people) and be flexible and proportionate. Larger funds need someone managing them full time.  
• It is difficult for volunteers to keep track of and engage with different developers and developments.  
• Models should consider local benefits as well as more strategic projects covering a larger geographical area. 
• Guidance is needed on how communities can combine with others (eg community councils) and decide joint priorities, aims and funding arrangements. Co-ordination and communication was raised as being key. 
• The definition of host community needs to be re-examined so that it takes into account the full footprint of an energy development (eg connections, substations) to reduce massive disparity between communities – eg several close to a development, but only one qualifies for the community benefit fund.  

Support for communities 

• The guidance needs to define what meaningful engagement by developers should be like – developers could have an engagement toolkit too.  
• Guidance should be concise and easy to navigate, case studies are useful. 
• Attendees supported a peer forum to help build networks that volunteers can rely upon. 
• There should be seed funding available for communities from developers or government to help community organisations get set up, develop plans, meet peers, gain expertise etc.  
• The Scottish Government should fund independent community benefits champions who can provide impartial advice on legal, governance, engagement issues etc to communities across Scotland. 

Views from the North East of Scotland are an important part of feedback, and we want other people in the region to be able to see and feed back on issues raised at the session.