October 2025 - Steering group formed to help deliver Bloch Wind Farm £27 million community benefit package

RES, a British company with a proud history in Scotland, has joined forces with local Community Councils to form the Bloch Development Group, which will make strategic decisions on how to utilise the community benefit funding from the proposed Bloch Wind Farm, if it is consented and becomes operational. The main remit of the group will be to ensure the community benefit package supports projects and initiatives aligned with the communities’ priorities, as well as monitoring its progress once it is up and running.

The proposed 18-turbine Bloch Wind Farm is located on land adjacent to the existing Solwaybank Wind Farm, near Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway. Capable of providing clean, low-cost renewable electricity for around 91,000 homes every year, Bloch will also provide a vital economic boost, including the creation of skilled, sustainable jobs which help to drive a cleaner and more resilient economy.

Jim Cameron, Senior Development Project Manager at RES said “Our Bloch Wind Farm proposal, if consented, will deliver a community benefit package worth £27 million over its operational lifetime. Here at RES, we take a tailored approach and work directly with the community to understand how our renewable energy projects could support the local area and help to secure long-term economic, social and environmental benefits.

“It is important to us that decisions are community-led so we’re delighted to have formed the Bloch Development Group. The first objective of the group will be to agree what the tailored community benefit package will look like and we’re looking forward to continuing discussions on this, with the group members over the coming months.”

The founding members of the Bloch Development Group are:

• Stephen Muir – Kirkpatrick Fleming and District Community Council
• John Beechey – Langholm, Ewes and Westerkirk Community Council
• Gordon Patterson – Kirtle & Eaglesfield Community Council
• Carol Midwood – Canonbie and District Community Council
• Annette Williamson – Middlebie and Waterbeck Community Council

Stephen Muir, Chair of Bloch Development Group said “We’ve formed the Bloch Development Group to ensure the community benefit from Bloch Wind Farm, if it is consented, is enjoyed by all of our communities. If you’ve got any suggestions for projects or initiatives you would like to see delivered in your local area, from the benefit package, I encourage you to reach out to your Community Council representative who sits on the Bloch Development Group.”

RES submitted a Section 36 application to Scottish Minsters for consent for the proposed Bloch Wind Farm, back in November 2022, which at the time comprised a 21-wind turbine scheme. The size and design of the proposal has since been revised to reduce the number of wind turbines (from 21 to 18), decrease the tip height of three turbines from 230m to 180m, and remove approximately 1,700m of access track.

RES has been playing a pivotal role in providing Scotland with renewable energy since the early 1990s and remains committed to being part of the country’s energy transition and business growth. From its Glasgow office, RES has developed and/or built 22 wind farms in Scotland with a total generation capacity of c.660MW and currently operate over 800MW of wind farms across the country, including Solwaybank Wind Farm near Langholm.