Every household in Ayrshire village could get £500 payment for winter fuel bills
Villagers have overwhelmingly backed plans by Barr Community Council to make use of windfarm money to help out with winter fuel poverty.
The community council surveyed every household in the village, proposing three potential ways they could use the funds.
The questionnaire asked residents for the views on a Winter Fuel Grant of that would give every household around £500.
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The community council had recently pointed out that many residents rely on expensive oil or liquid petroleum gas to heat their homes.
There were also proposals to cover TV license fees for residents over 75 years old, and membership to the Quay Zone leisure centre in Girvan.
The centre is currently closed with alternative pool and gym facilities currently operating in Maybole and Girvan.
A report on the outcome of the ballot states that the ballot results 'will inform the Community Council’s decisions and discussions with SSE and Renantis (Nadara)'.
While the ballot focused on the proposed uses, it also sought locals' views on whether they had felt the benefit of the windfarm funds already utilised.
Less than a quarter of village respondents reported that they had found there were 'tangible benefits' from the windfarm money.
The proposal of a winter fuel grant to every household was the most popular among respondents with 89 per cent supporting the plan compared to just nine per cent opposed.
Covering the cost of over-75s television licenses was the next best supported, with 80 per cent backing the move, and 20 per cent opposed.
The Quay Zone membership was the least popular, but still had a large percentage in favour, with 72 per cent backing the proposal and 25 per cent against.
Of the 133 distributed ballot papers, 79 forms were returned - a 59 per cent response rate.
Some residents backed some of the proposals while opposing others.
While the vast majority backed the fuel grant and, to a lesser extent, gym membership and television licenses, a small number made their total opposition clear.
The tensions between the groups looking to develop Barr Village Hall and those opposed to it was echoed in the report.
One comment stated: "None of these above benefits the Barr Village / Parish as a community, so they do not have the support of this household.
"We see the exercise to be a ploy to spend the community's money on short term sops rather than on longer term needs, such as operational seeding for the community hall after Community Asset Transfer."
Other comments included: "Funds should be for all ages and members of Barr Community / skip every month /vouchers for shop / subsidised fuel, logs, oil, gas for all in Barr / Quay Zone membership for all who want it."
Another said: "Negotiate for a turbine for the community of cheaper electricity. The funds are divisive - we should have had a turbine here as the test bed area for South Ayrshire. The main issue in Scotland is fuel poverty, not for those retiring here who have sold elsewhere and have funds.
The last comment stated: "But we really need a mobile phone mast before anything else in the village. The lack of one causes many problems such as smart meters."
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