Peterhead communities urged to apply to £2m EGL2 Local Fund ahead of 12 June deadline
Communities in Peterhead and the surrounding area are being urged to bid for a share of a new community benefit fund delivered as part of the UK’s biggest ever electricity transmission project, ahead of the application deadline on Thursday, 12 June.
The Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) Peterhead Local Fund will provide a total of £2,159,444 to communities in and around the Blue Toon over a five-year period.
The funding is intended to support projects and initiatives covering several priority areas that have been shaped by input from the local community. SSEN Transmission is currently recruiting local people to join a panel that will oversee funding decisions, and is inviting applications ahead of the deadline on Friday, 30 May.
EGL2 is a 525 kV, 2 GW 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 fund marks the latest step in progress on the £4.3bn project, which is due for completion in 2029.
The EGL2 Peterhead Local Fund includes 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 (including land and sea, natural habitats, and biodiversity)
- Transport and connectivity (including path/cycle networks and community transport)
- Community infrastructure and regeneration
- Heritage and culture
- Community action planning and capacity building
A separate micro-grant scheme will see five local community councils each award £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 from SSEN Transmission, said:
“With construction underway on EGL2, the launch of our EGL2 Peterhead Local Fund is another significant milestone in this project that will bring economic benefit to Peterhead and surrounding communities, throughout the construction phase and beyond.
We have had strong interest in the fund since its launch in April, and urge anyone considering applying to the fund to send their Expression of Interest before the deadline on Thursday, 12 June. Similarly, we are asking anyone interested in joining the local panel overseeing funding decisions to submit their interest by Friday, 30 May.
This fund has been shaped by input from the local community to prioritise projects that can have a transformational impact, underlining our determination that EGL2 delivers a strong legacy for communities and for the country.
It is vitally important that local people engage with us on how the fund can best support local initiatives, and we are looking forward to hearing ideas that ensure that funding meets the needs of communities in Peterhead.”
Further information on the Eastern Green Link 2 Peterhead Local Fund, including how to apply for funding is available here - Our Eastern Green Link 2 Peterhead Local Fund - SSEN Transmission. To apply to sit on the local panel overseeing funding decisions, please contact [email protected].
