Local businesses have given their backing to £112m Spittal Hill Wind Farm with a joint letter to Highland councillors.

These include the Wick and Scrabster Harbour Trusts, Caithness Stone Industries, A&D Sutherland and building contractors, GMR Henderson Ltd.

In their letter the business supporters outline the benefits of wind farm development to local firms facing a challenging economic environment. Locally based businesses could benefit to the tune of up to £20million - from the quarrying and construction industries, to specialist lifting and general plant hire, as well as making use of harbours for disembarking turbines and other materials.

In addition to employment jobs associated with the running of the wind farm, up to 100 construction jobs are likely to be created. The creation of local jobs and opportunities in this context can only be a good thing, putting much needed money back into the local economy and wind farm development is initially set to provide a source of diversified income to 9 different local businesses.

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It is also expected that the wind farm would contribute in excess of £1 million to Highland Council in business rates per annum, to be spent on much needed services.

The support comes on the back of the developers, Tom and Steve Pottinger, providing a turbine at Spittal Hill to the local Watten community and a turbine to a Caithness and North Sutherland ‘green’ fund. The fund, to be run through the Caithness Chamber of Commerce, will benefit local communities and organisations through Caithness and North Sutherland with grants and loans.

Should Spittal Hill receive planning consent each turbine is set to initially generate £50,000 per annum initially to the Watten community, with a similar amount going to the fund. This is set to rise to hundreds of thousands of pounds thereafter, regenerating communities.

In addition, the developers have announced that they will kick start the fund with a contribution of c. £25,000 per year from the 21 turbine Baillie Wind Farm which received approval in January 2010.

These commitments go above and beyond the commitments required to be made by the developers.

Tom Pottinger of Spittal Hill Wind Farm Ltd said: "We are clearly delighted with the support we have received from local businesses, just a snapshot of which are reflected in this letter. Wind farm development is indeed an emotive issue, but as the letter makes clear, what is often overlooked is the economic benefits such development brings to an area, both in job creation and investment,. This is an opportunity for Caithness to take advantage of the bountiful natural resource provided by renewables and develop skills and expertise in this field, making us a true leader.

"In addition to these opportunities we have provided turbines at Spittal Hill to benefit the local community and also Caithness and North Sutherland, over and above any commitment we are required to make, delivering hundreds of thousands of pounds to regenerate these areas."

(GK)