MEMBERS of the community will have the opportunity to work with the developers of Banks Renewables wind farms to develop plans for its Lethans Extension wind farm near New Cumnock.

Two consultations for the extension of the Lethans wind farm, less than 10 km northeast of New Cumnock, will take place online to ensure that communities can have a say in the design of the wind farm and for agree priorities on how the proposed community wind farm fund would support local community projects.

The online consultations will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 June and can be accessed by registering at: www.banksgroup.co.uk/projects/renewables/lethans-extension/

The extension of the wind farm to 11 turbines has the potential to create and support local jobs, work with local businesses and provide a community benefits fund of over £ 9million over its lifetime, while moving more than 30,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Robin Winstanley, Head of Sustainability and External Affairs at Banks Renewables, said: “Our approach to development with care means that we actively seek the opinions and feedback of local people and try to work with them to shape the project to ensure that it offers the maximum possible benefit to the local population.

“Lethans and Lethans Extension will create a positive and lasting legacy for East Ayrshire, creating jobs and infrastructure improvements that will benefit local communities for decades to come.

“We look forward to hearing the views of local communities so that we can establish the best way to work together for the benefit of East Ayrshire in the long term, while bringing Scotland’s Net Zero ambitions closer to reality. . ”

Banks’s Lethans wind farm was given the green light in October 2020, after plans were revised to maximize the supply of green electricity.