Developer Donald Ogilvy Watson is hoping that a financial incentive could convince residents to permit the building of a controversial hydro scheme at a beauty spot immortalised by Robert Burns.

Ogilvy Watson has offered local residents a half of any profits made from the scheme at Birks of Aberfeldy.

But the development has split local opinion, as some fear the famous falls could be damaged.

It is thought the project could return £6m to the community over the next fifty years, but would be reliant on the community investing around £285,000.

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Mark Jennison is managing partner at energy consultants Realise Renewables.

He is conducting discussions over the controversial project.

Mr Jennison said: ''The figures are broad brush to demonstrate the concept to the community and all of them are estimates because things have moved on since the original calculations of capital costs and revenues, but over 20 years they get an estimated £2.85m and over 50 years, which is the general lifespan of a hydro scheme, it would probably be £6.2m.

''The developer has offered a 50/50 split because it appeared from earlier rejections of the scheme by the community that their view might be different if they had a greater stake and control.''

The plans for the hydro generator were approved by Perth and Kinross Council in 2009.

Now the scheme just needs the permission of the Aberfeldy Common Good Fund, which owns the land required to begin building.

(IT)