COMMUNITIES in Peterhead and the surrounding areas are to benefit from over £2 million in funding for local initiatives through a new community benefit fund delivered as part of the £4.3 billion Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project.
SSEN Transmission will open the fund on April 15, providing a total of £2,159,444 to communities in and around the Blue Toon over a five-year period. The organisation is set to recruit local people to join a panel that will oversee funding decisions,.
EGL2 is a 525kV, 2GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission cable from Peterhead to Drax in Yorkshire delivered as a joint venture by SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET). The launch of the fund marks the latest step in progress on the £4.3 billion project, which is due for completion in 2029.
The EGL2 Peterhead Local Fund will include a large project fund which will provide £410,294 per year in support for local projects, over a five-year period. Priorities for the fund have been identified in consultation with the local community and include education, employment, and skills; protection and enhancement of the natural environment; transport and connectivity; community infrastructure and regeneration; heritage and culture; and community action planning and capacity building.
A separate micro-grant scheme will see five local community councils each receive £4,319 a year over five years, to fund any projects that benefit the local community up to the value of £500.
These grants are designed to provide immediate support, for example, to help the high number of youth groups and other third sector organisations within Peterhead and the surrounding area.
Ricky Saez, EGL2 project director at SSEN Transmission, said, “Our EGL2 Peterhead Local Fund will provide over £2m in funding for initiatives and projects over the next five years, supporting this nationally critical project’s unwavering commitment towards delivering a strong and lasting legacy for local communities.
“In September we celebrated a significant milestone with the official start of construction on EGL2, and the launch of our Local Fund marks another huge step in this project that will bring economic benefit to Peterhead and surrounding communities, throughout the construction phase and beyond.
“The fund has been shaped through consultation we have undertaken with the community, and we’re recruiting for local people to sit on our panel overseeing funding decisions. This will ensure that funding meets the needs of communities in Peterhead and delivers a lasting local legacy.”
To apply to sit on the local panel overseeing funding decisions, please contact community.benefit@sse.com
