Wind power companies offer communities £2,000 per turbine

Communities that agree to wind farms in their local area will be given around £2,000 a year per turbine, the trade body for wind power companies has said.

Renewable UK, which represents wind and marine energy firms, has said communities will get a minimum of £1,000 a megawatt in community benefit funds.

The announcement, reported in The Times today, comes on top of the government’s decision last week to give back business rates from wind farms to local communities after fears the localism agenda could make it even more difficult for turbines to gain approval.

A spokesperson for Renewable UK emphasised that community benefit funds were not new and the protocol simply set standards for members.