The government’s register of community benefits, maintained by Local Energy Scotland, details the voluntary arrangements offered by renewable energy businesses to communities located near onshore renewables developments.

The payments from projects such as wind farms amounted to a total of £20,507,747 in 2019.

More than 240 renewable energy schemes are now paying out to local communities, with the cash going to schemes that help tackle fuel poverty, improve transport and improve green spaces.

Local Energy Scotland hailed the “milestone” total.

Chris Morris, Local Energy Scotland manager, said: “We know that community benefits make a real and transformational difference to communities and it’s great to see this landmark milestone being reached.

“The amount of benefit that these payments offer really goes to show their worth.”

Morag Watson, director of policy at Scottish Renewables, said: “Renewable energy is transforming communities across Scotland, providing enormous economic, environmental and social benefits to some of the country’s most remote areas.

“Scottish Renewables is committed to ensuring those positive impacts are maximised, with voluntary community benefit payments being just one part of that process.

“It is fantastic news that £20m of community benefit payments has been made to communities across the country in the past 12 months.”

To support more communities to benefit, Local Energy Scotland launched a new, free community benefits toolkit in partnership with Foundation Scotland.

It was designed to make it even easier for communities to secure, set up and manage funds and wider packages of community benefits from renewable energy schemes.