Communities invited to shape priorities for £3m+ community benefit fund

Image shows SSEN Transmission staff speaking with a member of the public at a consultation event

  • Public events to be held from Monday, 8 September allowing people to share views on spending priorities for Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Local Fund

  • £3m+ fund comes as part Argyll and Kintyre 275kV strategy, delivering new electricity transmission infastructure in support of local network security and clean energy generation

People in Argyll and Kintyre are being invited to help decide how more than £3m in community benefit funding for new electricity infrastructure should be spent.

SSEN Transmission recently announced the launch of its Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Local Fund, and the company is now holding a series of public drop-in events and online presentations where local people are invited to share their views on how the money should be used.  

The aim of this activity is to define:   

  • The area of benefit for the fund (where the funding should be available)   
  • The priorities for the fund (what is most important to communities and how the money should be best used)   
  • The structure of the fund (how many years the fund should be available and what level of funding should be available for community projects)    

The first event will take place at Dalmally Community Centre on Monday 8 September, with a drop-in session where people can meet the team and share their views. This will be followed by a series of drop-in sessions and presentations at other locations throughout the week, as well as online presentations taking place on 16 and 19 September.

Gary Hughes, SSEN Transmission’s Economic Development Manager, said: “Our Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Local Fund will generate over £3m in funding for local communities, however it’s important to us that the fund is designed in collaboration with communities to deliver maximum impact.

“With this in mind, we are pleased to share the timetable of events taking place in September where we will be seeking views from people in Argyll and Kintyre on how the fund should be distributed.

“We are already seeing the positive impact of community benefit funding that comes alongside our work to upgrade the transmission network, with over £2.2m awarded to projects and initiatives in the north of Scotland so far.

“The Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Local Fund is yet another example of how we are delivering a positive legacy in communities hosting our infrastructure, and we encourage anyone with an interest in shaping the fund’s priorities to come along to our events and share their views.” 

The timetable of events and sign-up details is available by visiting our dedicated Argyll and Kintyre 275kV Local Fund web pages at https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/information-centre/community-benefit-fund/local-funds/argyll-and-kintyre-275kv/