A public meeting is being held in Rhu next week to discuss plans for a community wind farm above the village.
As revealed here last month when plans for an anemometer were submitted, Helensburgh Community Wind Farm would actually be within the area of Rhu and Shandon’s community council, rather than Helensburgh’s.
Five 86-metre turbines are envisaged, with a total budget of £7.8m.
The Helensburgh Community Development Trust says that as long as the project is in profit the community would receive an average of £130,000 annually – but at this stage it is not clear how that ‘community’ is defined geographically.
The money raised will be split three ways between the trust, landowners Luss Estates and Green Cat Renewables Ltd.
Trust managing director Ian Fraser will describe the proposals on Monday night (May 26) at a special meeting held in Rhu Church Hall (not the community hall) by the community council.
The doors will open at 7pm, with an opportunity to view displays of the plans, before the meeting starts at 7.45pm.
A statement available at an exhibition of the plans in Helensburgh last year said the burgh was known as ‘a banana town’ – Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone.
Mr Fraser appealed at the time for pragmatism from locals, saying Argyll and Bute Council had a £50m ‘black hole’ in its finances so a common good fund needed to be established.
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