Wellbank children can look forward to the first improvements to their village playpark in generations after a six-figure windfall from Scotland’s largest offshore renewables project.
Local parents reckon it’s been half a century since money was spent on the run-down park.
But work is now underway on a £120,000 transformation funded with community cash from the operators of the Seagreen windfarm off the Angus coast.
They set up a fund for local projects along the cable route from Carnoustie to Tealing.
And Wellbank mum Genna Millar says she was stunned when their bid was chosen to receive the huge pot of money.
Village frustration
“Myself and my neighbours had various conversations around the facilities in the village for our children,” said mum-of-three Genna.
“I was always frustrated by the lack of play opportunities for the children in Wellbank.
“My youngest son was at the age where he was asking to go to the park – but we would go to the one in the village and it had a very run-down wigwam area which was verging on dangerous, as well as some swings from the 1970’s and a slide.
“There are around 100 kids in the village of various ages but they had nowhere to go and nothing to do.”
Genna’s experience as a co-ordinator with food and fun charity Dundee Bairns proved invaluable in securing the Seagreen windfall.
“I recognised that this was a large challenge, but I was determined to find a way,” she said.
“I got in touch with Angus Council, our local community council and tried to work out a starting point.
“Luckily, my timing was perfect,” she said.
Community fund
Seagreen had started work in the area on their windfarm and set up the fund for the communities affected by the project work.
“The amount available in our area was £120,000, which I thought we might be able to bid for around £50,000 of, if we were lucky,” said Genna.
A community consultation during the 2020 summer lockdown set the ball rolling on the plans.
“I think the fact that so many people were trapped in their area with nothing to do for the children hit home really hard – people really needed and wanted a change.
“There are people in the village who played on the current equipment when they were children and they were now bringing their grandchildren out to play on it.”
She said Craig Mullen of Seagreen partner SSE, who administered the fund, and Steve Anderson of Murroes and Wellbank Community Council were hugely supportive of the idea.
“They both saw the need and were impressed by the results of the consultation – they very kindly decided to back my application to the Seagreen fund for the full £120,000 needed for the playpark build,” said Genna.
“This was a phenomenal result.
“It has meant the project can happen very quickly and we haven’t had to seek funding from elsewhere, which has been a real bonus.
“A four-strong park committee has pulled the plan together.
“I’m absolutely delighted this project has come together for the local community and I know the rest of the sub-committee and the community can’t wait to see this new park in place.
“The kids are all really excited – I can’t wait to see my children playing in their village park.”
Seagreen generating capacity
The £3 billion windfarm began generating energy from the first of its 114 turbines last August.
When fully operational, the Seagreen site will produce around five terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable electricity annually – enough to power the equivalent of 1.6 million households.
The wind farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables and TotalEnergies.
It plans to invest £1.8m in community projects in the next few years.
