by Emma Grove

Wind turbines could be erected at one of the Island’s prisons if a new project gets the go ahead.

Her Majesty’s Prison Service is working with Partnerships for Renewables, a team of experts working with the public sector to develop, operate and manage renewable energy projects.

Together they are investigating the possibility of siting wind turbines at HMP Standford Hill.

If given the go-ahead, the project would help the government meet its targets for renewable energy, improve the prison service’s environmental performance and generate additional revenue.

The proposed site is next to HMP Standford Hill and at this stage it is thought the site could host two commercial-scale wind turbines, which could generate enough green energy to power about 2,300 households.

The team behind the project will ensure the local community is central to the development and public exhibitions will be held as things progress.

The first exhibition, to introduce the proposal and the team to the community, will be held before the end of the year.

An application for a temporary wind monitoring mast is likely to be submitted to Swale Borough Council soon. Brian Pollett, chief executive of the Sheppey

Prison Cluster, said: “The Prison Service, like much of the public sector, is under pressure to demonstrate leadership in the fight against climate change.

“At the same time we are being encouraged to make best use of any under-utilised land assets.

“The Prison Service views the development of renewable energy as one of the tools available to us to meet these challenges and I am delighted that Standford Hill is at the forefront of this exciting approach.”

Jo Fleming, regional manager at Partnerships for Renewables, said: “This work illustrates how the public sector, and in particular the Prison Service, is playing a proactive role in the fight against climate change.

“It is early days and there is still a lot of assessment work to carry out to establish whether or not this site is an appropriate location for wind turbines.

The aim of this early announcement is to ensure local stakeholder involvement, including the surrounding community, from the outset of our work.

“We want any potential development to incorporate feedback from the local community.”

If the development is given the go-ahead, a community benefit package will be provided. This will consist of a community fund which will receive an annual payment.

This fund will be administered by representatives of the local community, to be spent in any way the community sees fit.

A community benefit consultation will take place separately from the wind power project consultation.