Fintona Comes Up Trumps With £1 Million Windfall

If you are small community located in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, supporting a community of some 1,400 hardy souls, it is pretty dramatic news when you find out that you have come into serious money.

Step forward Fintona, eight miles away from the county town of Tyrone, which is celebrating news that the area is to receive a £1 million windfall which will be spread over the next 25 years. The Fintona Community investment fund is being provided by the owners of the relatively small eight turbine Screggagh wind farm, built in 2010-11, which is located in the townland of the same name just outside Fintona.

The investment will be £40,000 per annum, (£5,000 per turbine), index linked to keep in line with inflation for a minimum of 25 years or the lifetime of the wind farm, and result in a minimum of £1 million investment at today’s value in local community initiatives. The cheques have already been signed on the first year’s instalment of £40,000 which will go towards a range of cross-community groups in the area.

Sinn Fein’s Frankie Donnelly said he has been involved in the negotiations with the company to finalise the funding on behalf of the wider Fintona community.

Following securement of the investment, Cllr Donnolly stated, “It has been a priority of ours for some time now in West Tyrone to ensure that local communities benefit from the installation of wind turbines in our communities.

“We have taken the initiative and engaged with wind farm developers/owners and the renewables industry in an effort to progress this. The renewable Industry’s response has been mixed.

“Whilst wind turbines are not favoured by everyone, where they are installed the local people and community structures should benefit, in that way sustainable energy can also contribute to sustainable communities and that is the intention for Fintona.”

Screggagh Wind Farm Ltd said it is “delighted” to make this commitment to the local area and town of Fintona.

A spokesperson said, “Screggagh was ten years in development before coming into operation last year, and whilst this fund was not part of the original plan, we do recognise that it is important to make a local contribution to community life.

“The case put to us by local elected representatives on behalf of Fintona was very convincing and our commitment to the 25 year Fintona Fund is in keeping with how we see ourselves as a socially responsible company. To demonstrate this commitment, the first year’s funding has been allocated to a range of local groups in the form of sponsorship totalling £40,000”.

This announcement comes on top of the recent £190,000 allocated to Fintona from ARC North-West through Dard’s Rural Development Programme.