Connect2Renewables
Maximising the local economic and employment benefits of Banks Renewables developments
Connect2Renewables is an initiative that maximises the benefits of our renewable energy developments for local communities and the local economy. We worked with South Lanarkshire Council and local communities to achieve this.
Connect2Renewables commitments
- Working with local contractors and offering contracts to them where possible.
- Â Providing training schemes and jobs to local people to help them get back into employment, learning placements or apprenticeships.
- Establishing a local Community Advisory Panel for each of our projects, which identifies local good causes and charities we can support with our Community Fund.
Delivering on our commitments
– Working with local authorities and the Chambers of Commerce to identify local businesses capable of working on our wind farm construction projects.
– Ensuring that we include local firms on tender lists for main and sub-contracts.
– Requiring statements of local economic benefits in tenders for our work.
– Partnering with the local council to fund a scheme aimed at supporting local unemployed people (with no age restriction) back into work via apprenticeships, work-based learning or further education.
– Maximising the number of direct employment and/or training opportunities for local people.
– Obligating companies in our local supply chain to commit to delivering direct employment and/or training for local people.
– Considering the scope for a local consortium of firms to deliver major contracts.
Connect2Renewables in Action
As a result of our Connect2Renewables initiative, we used a large investment of locally-sourced contractors for both of our operational wind farms in South Lanarkshire.
Biggar Economics completed an assessment of the impact of both Middle Muir and Kype Muir wind farms in 2022, which you can read using the flipbook below.