Sròndoire has been in development for the last two years, and will extend the successful model of local and community ownership pioneered by Allt Dearg.  It is hoped that the neighbouring communities of Kilfinan in Cowal to the east, and Tarbert & Skipness to the south, will join the partnership in due course.  Sròndoire Wind Farmers are working with the Tighnabruaich District Development Trust and the Tarbert & Skipness Community Trust to secure partnership shares, which will allow the financial benefits of renewable energy investment to be locally retained and used to fund projects designed to increase local economic and social resilience.
Allt Dearg presently produces enough electricity to power 5000 homes in Argyll, Sròndoire will power a further 3000 homes.  When Sròndoire comes on line at the end of 2015, the combined projects will supply around 20% of Argyll’s domestic electricity.

Mary Broadfoot of Stronachullin said:  “We are delighted that the Council Members have endorsed the Planning Officer’s recommendation and approved the Sròndoire Community Wind Farm project.  As we have found at Allt Dearg, local ownership of wind projects is able to bring substantial benefits to Argyll, and we look forward to working with our community partners to get this project up and running.  There was only one objection on file to the Sròndoire proposal, and this came from outside Argyll.   The vocal critics, who had claimed that Allt Dearg would be a disaster for Argyll, have gone quiet.  Allt Dearg has exceeded all our expectations of performance and delivery of local benefits”. 

James Lithgow of Ormsary said: “Wind energy has been in the news a lot recently, for the wrong reasons.  This is very good news for Argyll.  Allt Dearg and now Sròndoire are important developments for rural Argyll, a part of the world short of economic opportunities.  We are exceptionally fortunate to have an excellent site and perhaps the most productive wind farm of its size in the UK. By using local construction and service teams, the projects not only deliver much needed renewable energy, but also maximise the social and economic benefits to the host and neighbouring communities.  We very much hope that our model of local and community owned, commercial scale, renewable energy development might spread elsewhere in the UK.  We have an excellent team at Sròndoire, who are now busy on the finance and construction plan.  We aim to play our part in meeting the UK’s energy needs, as well as ensuring our fragile rural communities continue to generate the home grown wealth so vital to sustaining their future.”   

Andrew Graham-Weall, Chairman of the Kilfinan Community Council said: “Having seen the success of the locally owned Allt Dearg scheme, Kilfinan Community Council was excited to be invited to participate in the sister Sròndoire project and asked our area’s new community development trust to get involved. With the great ideas from the trust’s Community Consultation and the offer of a Partnership Share in Sròndoire, the Tighnabruaich District Development Trust is off to a great start. Local young people can already access the Allt Dearg Educational Trust, but with funds from Sròndoire  the Development Trust will be able to spread the benefits of this locally owned development even wider.”