LANGHOPE RIG COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROGRAMME
Hawick Community Council along with Denholm & District; Ettrick & Yarrow; Lilliesleaf, Ashkirk & Midlem and Upper Teviotdale & Borthwick Water Community Councils all signed a Community Benefit agreement which is now with Greencoat UK Wind PLC and the name of the wind farm has been changed to Langhope Rig Wind Farm Ltd and these five Community Councils are all in receipt of an annual payment for the lifetime of the wind farm project (25 years).
The Community Council decides towards the end of each calendar year its proposals for the use of funding, and those proposals are discussed at a monthly public meeting. Proposals could be to use the funding for HCC’s own projects, e.g. our annual Christmas Market Event or Summer Bandstand Events or Hawick in Bloom planting. If the funding is not used for our own projects, the criteria for use of funds also includes micro-grants and other grants to be provided upon applications from other local community groups.
The Community Benefit Fund is administered by Foundation Scotland. Under strict guidelines, HCC is required every year to complete a Distribution Plan outlining its proposals for Fund spending for the forthcoming year, as well as to provide an Annual Report on how it has spent funding awarded for that current year. Both these reports require to be approved by Foundation Scotland to ensure criteria is met and to allow the continuation of the provision of funding for the benefit of the Hawick community.