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Windfarms could provide windfall for local communities
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/20/wind-farms-community-benefits-government
Some campaigners oppose the idea of 'paying people off' to secure planning permission for windfarms. Photograph: Richard Osbourne/Blue Pearl Photographic/Alamy
Communities with windfarms in their area could get money off their electricity bills or grants for facilities such as playgrounds, the government has suggested.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change has launched a consultation into how communities could benefit from having windfarms sited near them, for example by receiving discounts on bills or investment in local infrastructure. It will also look at how local businesses could become involved in the supply chain and how developers can best consult local people.
The energy secretary, Edward Davey, said that too often host communities had seen the "windfarm but not the windfall" and he wanted to ensure people benefited from them.
