Neilston is a former mill town that is now a commuter community outside Glasgow with pockets of disadvantage. The Neilston Development Trust aims to make Neilston a better place to live through physical improvements, cultural/social growth, and sustainable development. A key initiative was the Neilston Community Windfarm, a joint venture between the Trust and a commercial developer. The windfarm consists of 4 turbines that generate income for the community. The Trust was able to finance its stake through loans, demonstrating that community renewable energy projects can provide local economic and social benefits if communities have access to funding.

1. NEILSTON:
• Former mill town,
• Now commuter community on SW outskirts of Glasgow
• Pockets of extreme disadvantage
NEILSTON COMMUNITY WINDFARM
JOINT VENTURING FOR OUR FUTURE

2. An ordinary
place….
Strong community, but losing identity and
experiencing increasing inequality

3. The Scottish context 1:
• Massive rise in community-based action around land,
energy and local development
• Scottish Government recognises this as a way of
mobilising local capacity and action in a time of
pressure on resource
• Community Empowerment Act
• Challenges - suggests change in local democratic
institutions, decentralisation of power, resourcing of
the new institutions to deliver on the promise we
have shown.
• So we’re not there yet, despite the wonderful work
already done by the community movement.

4. The Scottish context 2:
• NDT one of 200 community based trusts
• Scottish Community Alliance represents large
number of community networks, including
– Development Trust Association Scotland
– Community Energy Scotland (Community Energy target
500mw)
– Community Land Scotland
– Community-based Housing Associations
– Community Transport etc

5. We wanted to make Neilston a better
place to live in….
With a well designed environment
A good quality of life
Well suited for the 21st century….
With local people leading
Reclaiming the streets for play

6. Neilston Development Trust (NDT)
• Physical excellence PLACE
• Cultural & Social growth PEOPLE
• Sustainable development PROSPERITY
Underpinning these:
• Community connectivity & participation
• Economic development
Our vision has 3 key themes:

7. NEILSTON FUTURES: PLACE
A shared vision of our future

8. NEILSTON FUTURES: PEOPLE
The Bank: Community Right to Buy

9. NEILSTON FUTURES: PEOPLE
The Bank -
open for
business!

10. Neilston Live! –
in every way!
NEILSTON FUTURES: PEOPLE

11. NEILSTON FUTURES: PEOPLE
Volunteer programme

12. NETWORKS AND PARTNERSHIPS
The slow burn!
•East Ren Council - all relevant depts
•Barrhead HA - support from the start!
•Voluntary Action East Ren - ditto!
•Community Council and all community networks
•Community Health & Care P/ship
•Colleges and Universities
•National networks and policy forums

13. NEILSTON FUTURES: PROSPECTS
Neilston Community Windfarm LLP
• Joint venture partnership between
commercial windfarm developer
and the Trust in 10mw, £15.6m
project
• NDT has 28.3% stakeholding in the
development
• £10m approx. income to Neilston
over life of projec

14. • NDT tries to engage nearby commercial
developers (the Big Ones) in purchasing potential
output from one turbine (rerun of model
elsewhere)
• No success there!
• Introduction to a company, Carbon Free
Developments, looking for a community and a site
to test their Joint Venture model
How we got started as windfarm developers

16. Halloween morning
2012
The turbines arrive!

17. Meet TWIRLIE, WHIRLIE, BIRLIE…

18. ….. and WHOOSH!

19. The model: pre-planning
• Carbon Free (developer) had researched the site
• Carbon Free introduced to NDT
• CFD/NDT ( via NDT Trading) enter into LLP
• Option to lease agreement with landowner (normal
commercial terms)
• CF undertakes and funds development of site
• No commitment by NDT at this stage

20. Community consultation
• Proposal put to community
June 2009
• Publicity and consultation
weekend July/August 2009
• Updates in NDT newsletter
• Neighbouring village
objections Oct 2010
• Consent produces threat of
application for judicial review

21. Community renewables:
some barriers
• High risk development capital
• Technical expertise lacking in community
• Capacity - volunteer time
• Difficulty of accessing funds for equity

22. The money: financing
• Total project costs £15.6m
• Development costs c £500k
• 10MW in 4 turbines
• Senior debt at 80% (Coop Bank)
• NDT needed to source up to £1.5m equity to realise
its 49.9% share
• Actual loans secured £950k (Social Investment
Scotland, Charities Aid Foundation, Big Issue Invest,
West Scotland Loan Fund) - equates to 28% share.
• Income flow begins 2014-15

23. Learning?
• Ensure message gets through - take it on the chin at
an early stage!
• Need for strategic view of community futures and a
mandate to act
• General political support
• Good professional advice essential (legal, financial)
and strong internal management

24. Wider significance of community energy
• Provides resource for
building of new local social
and economic base.
• Virtuous circle of energy
generation and local use, job
creation and citizen
stakeholding (political and
financial)
• Stimulates local ownership
of the carbon reduction
agenda

25. Application in Ireland?
• Government enthusiasm for community ownership
of energy
• Community access to grant and loan finance
essential for joint venture model (enabling
mechanisms)
• Community share issue via Coops
• Strong and resilient community building
• Local economic development

26. Harness your own resources to build your own,
sustainable future!
You’ll need:
• a strong community
organisation,
• with a clear vision,
• building partnerships:
technical, political, financial
Neilston’s message to Leitrim?

27. The future: it’s ours to make!
Keep in touch!

28. www.neilstontrust.co.uk