WJM says it will be asking some pertinent questions at the event including: Is community benefit more then just a planning question? Are there more imaginative solutions for developers? What are the options for communities when taking part in renewable projects? Is the Scottish business supply chain benefitting from renewables?
Angus MacLeod, head of WJM Inverness, said: “Whether its community, micro or large-scale renewables, the issue of community benefit is a real one. Expectations can be high and there are tales, perhaps apocryphal, of communities committing to a project without fully understanding the implications which has, in turn, led to disappointment.
“We meet different expectations about community benefit across the full scope of renewable developments; planners have one view, communities another and developers may have a third. Aligning those views can sometimes be challenging which is why we decided to take on ‘community benefit’ as the theme for our mini-conference.”
The event is open to all including developers, communities, funders, support bodies, local authorities, landowners, supply chain members and land & estate agents.