People living and working in Strathglass are being asked to help decide how a new community fund worth an expected £530,000 should be spent.
SSEN Transmission has launched a consultation today, Monday 14 September, on the Bingally Local Fund, which will benefit communities closest to its planned 400kV substation south west of Cannich.
The fund is being developed alongside the Bingally substation, which is required as part of the upgrade of the second circuit of the Beauly to Denny overhead power line from 275kV to 400kV.
The project received consent from Highland Council’s South Planning Applications Committee in February.
Funding will become available when the main construction phase of the substation begins, with the current lifetime value expected to be around £530,000.
SSEN Transmission says the figure has been calculated in line with UK Government guidance for community benefit funding associated with electricity transmission infrastructure.
Local people are now being asked to help determine where the money should be available, which community priorities it should support and how the fund itself should operate.
The consultation will also consider how long the fund should run and the level of financial support that could be made available to individual community projects.
Ryan Bell, Community Investment Manager at SSEN Transmission, said:
“We’re committed to ensuring that communities closest to our infrastructure projects share in the benefits they help make possible.
“The Bingally Local Fund represents a significant investment in the future of Strathglass, and we want local people to play a leading role in shaping how this funding can best support their communities.
“Whether that’s helping improve local facilities, supporting community initiatives, investing in resilience or creating opportunities for future generations, it’s important that the fund reflects local priorities.
“We would encourage anyone who lives or works in Strathglass to get involved and share their views.”
Two public sessions will be held at Cannich Hall from 3.30pm until 7.30pm on Tuesday 22 September and Tuesday 29 September.
An online session will follow from 7pm until 8pm on Thursday 1 October for people unable to attend in person.
A community survey will also run from 21 September until 30 October, with the responses helping to shape a draft proposal for how the fund should work.
That proposal will then be considered with community representatives before final details are published later this year.
The Bingally fund forms part of a much wider programme of community investment linked to major electricity transmission projects across the north of Scotland.
SSEN Transmission announced its new Strategic Investment Fund and the third round of its Regional Community Benefit Fund earlier this month, committing at least £12 million to communities over the next two years.
For Strathglass, the immediate question is much closer to home, with residents now being given a say in how £530,000 linked to major new infrastructure on their doorstep should benefit the communities living around it.
SSEN Transmission can also be contacted at community.benefit@sse.com
