HoTT hopes that the Wind Turbine Project will inspire other individuals, organisations and businesses to work with HoTT and deliver a diverse range of renewable energy generation and energy saving projects in the Holme Valley area.
The existing turbine was installed by Longley Farm in 1986 to provide green electricity for their dairy products business and is thought to have been one of the first commercial wind turbines in the UK. Having reached the end of its working life, having had a number of refurbishments over the years. Jim Dickinson offered the opportunity for HoTT to partner with Longley Farm and replace the existing turbine with a new community owned venture. The new turbine will continue to supply green energy to the Longley Farm dairy business, but in addition, revenues from the Project will provide a return to Members and a Community Fund for green projects in the Holme Valley area. Longley Farm’s commitment to the Project in the early stages, prior to planning, is almost unique in community projects of this nature and has allowed HoTT to substantially reduce the development risks, to the benefit of the local community and our potential Members.
The technical design and financial analysis has been undertaken by the HoTT Energy Group and advisers, profiles of whom are included in this document. The new wind turbine will have a design life of 20 years and supply around 20% of the total electricity requirements of the Longley Farm dairy products business, saving about 287 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
HoTT have established a social enterprise company, HoTTWind@Longley, to run and operate the wind turbine for the benefit of the local community. It was incorporated and registered with the FCA as a Community Benefit Society (Registration number 7017) on 6th October 2014. Its registered office is 77 Totties, Scholes, Holmfirth HD9 1UJ, West Yorkshire, UK. A Community Benefit Society is a legal entity. It is owned by its members and operated for the benefit of the community.
Members elect Directors to the Board for the management of the Society. Each Member has one vote in a Members meeting, regardless of number of shares held. Annual General Meetings (AGM) are held for Members to hold the Board to account and to hear about the progress and performance of the Society. Members are protected by limited liability and are only obliged to contribute the initial cost of their shares.Community Benefit Societies are governed by rules which are approved and registered with the FCA. The Rules for the HoTTWind@Longley Community Benefit Society (CBS) are available on this website in the ‘Resources’ section.
HoTT is a non-profit organisation set up in Holmfirth in 2010 and now has over 400 supporters. It is one of nearly 500 officially registered Transition Towns across the world. Their main purpose is to help communities to respond to climate change, find ways of reducing their carbon emissions and develop a resilient, sustainable way of life.
Longley Farm, a trading name of J&E Dickinson, is a dairy products business famed for its yoghurts and cottage cheese, and based at Longley near Holmfirth. The firm pioneered the commercial generation of electricity by wind power over 25 years ago and is now helping HoTT to sponsor the development of this community energy project and will be the principal user of the power generated by the new wind turbine.
Sharenergy is a Shrewsbury based cooperative that helps community groups to establish community owned renewable energy generation societies, and has been advising HoTT on the community share offering. Sharenergy is a spinoff from Energy4All, a not-for-profit company that originated from the first renewable energy cooperative in the UK, Baywind in Cumbria set up in 1996.
Co-operatives UK offer guidance on setting up and running a Community Benefit Society, and has assisted HoTT in setting up HoTTWind@Longley as a Community Benefit Society. HoTTWind@ Longley is also a member of Co-operatives UK.
The Energy Workshop (TEW) is a Huddersfield based planning consultancy specialising in wind projects. TEW, through their sister company Whirlwind Renewables, has also developed and built their own wind turbine in the UK. TEW led the planning process for the new Longley wind turbine leading to the award of planning consent in August 2014.
Temple Bright are solicitors based in London with expertise in Renewable Energy & Climate Change, who have been advising HoTT and Longley Farm, preparing the necessary legal agreements covering the partnership arrangements, site lease, power sales, and loan. Temple Bright has also reviewed the turbine supply and installation contract and operating and maintenance agreement.
350 Strategy is a renewable energy and sustainability consultancy, based in Holmfirth, whose principal, Rachel Lee, is a member of the HoTT Energy Group. With a wide range of experience in the Energy sector, she is the Project Manager for the wind turbine development on on behalf of HoTT and Longley Farm.
