Co-Hydrover Ltd. and Partners are studying the possibility of operating two additional hydro electric projects in Ardentinny, i.e., at the Coull Burn and Old School Burn, the latter being the burn beside the village car park and presumably so-called because of its proximity to the original Old School, i.e., Glencairn Cottage.

Regarding The Coull Burn Project, the contractor, Robert Brakes who was also representing his project partner Co-Hydrover, recently met with members of the Village Hall Committee along with Dougie Menzies, Chair of Ardentinny Renewables Trust. The object of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of erecting a pole on village hall land in exchange for a cheaper electricity tariff for the hall.

The turbine would be situated on Forestry Commission land, for which they will receive 20% of the project’s profits and the proposal is to connect to the grid by bringing an underground cable across the road and connecting it to a pole to be erected on village hall ground. In exchange, the hall will receive a reduced electricity tariff while the turbine is running, as will proprietors of other property through which the cable runs.

Members of Ardentinny Renewables Trust (ART) will already be aware that the first tranche of funds, i.e., £5322.78, from the Hydrover hydro scheme, has been received by the Trust and funding applications for its use are invited.

Applicants must first be resident within the Ardentinny Community Council area and be members of ART. Funds applied for must be for the benefit of Ardentinny. There are no limits to the amount but applicants are encouraged to source funds from more than one grant funder, particularly in the case of larger projects.

Successful applications will be decided by the ART ‘Funding Panel’ of 7 members who were nominated at the 2018 AGM. They will meet privately up to four times a year to consider applications but may occasionally request applicants to attend. They will base their decisions on consideration of which projects offer the greatest and widest benefit to the Ardentinny community, taking into account the number of applicants, the fund balance and any previous awards.

If you are not yet a Trust member and wish to be so, contact Neil Robinson, ART Secretary @ ardentinnyrenewablestrust@gmail.com.