Community Benefit Fund

What is a Community Benefit Fund?

A Community Benefit Fund (CBF) is money voluntarily provided by a project developer to support projects and initiatives that benefit the local community. A fund is separate from the formal planning process and is intended to provide a lasting benefit for the community alongside development.

There is no legal obligation to offer a community benefit fund, but it has become accepted best practice on large renewable and infrastructure projects. The Government is exploring whether community benefit funding may be put into law in future but has not legislated as of 2026. At the time of purchase, Quinbrook and PEP committed to honouring the community benefit fund proposed by the previous developer, which is detailed on this page, in addition to a separate construction fund.

Community benefit funding can help fund improvements to local facilities, community groups, charitable causes, green spaces or other projects identified as priorities by local people. Community benefit funds are not considered to be compensation

‍For more information on the Mallard Pass Solar Farm CBF, see below.

  • Following their purchase of the project, Quinbrook and PEP are committed to honouring the previous developer’s stated community benefit fund offer of £400/MW export capacity per year. This equates to £96,000 per year over the lifetime of the project, index linked from the start of operations.

  • Yes. Quinbrook and PEP have offered an additional one-off payment of £200,000, available from the start of the main site construction works, for local communities to access.

  • The construction fund (£200,000) will be made available from the start of construction on the main site works. The full, annual, community benefit fund will subsequently be made available from the start of the solar farm’s operation.

  • The fund will be administered by an independent third-party. Quinbrook and PEP are open to the choice of administrator, currently being explored by local parish councils. If a final decision has not been made, or does not meet the appropriate legal and regulatory standards for financial management, the developer will appoint an administrator. PEP and Quinbrook will fully fund the costs of administration outside of any community benefit funding.

  • The purpose of the fund is to deliver benefit amongst the wider community. Access and process will be determined by the administrator based on its agreed terms of reference. More information will be shared here to support transparency and accessibility of the fund in due course.

  • The fund’s terms of reference will be determined by its administrator, and each application will be assessed on its own merit. Whilst the administrator or terms of reference have not yet been confirmed, funds will not be made available for illegal or political purposes.

  • The fund is calculated using the project’s maximum export capacity, which is 240MW AC. This is the maximum amount of power Mallard Pass can export to the grid and is the standard basis for this type of calculation.

  • Solar farms typically install more generating capacity than their maximum AC export capacity so they can make better use of the available grid connection, including in lower-light conditions. The maximum export capacity at Mallard Pass remains fixed at 240MW AC.

    • DC (direct current): Electricity that flows in one direction. The type of electricity produced by batteries and used by many electronic devices.

    • AC (alternating current): Electricity that regularly changes direction as it flows. This is the type of electricity supplied through the national grid to homes and businesses.

  • Community benefit funds are entirely voluntary, and different approaches are therefore taken by developers. Projects across the renewable energy sector have varying levels of associated community benefit fund, contingent on their size, location and stage in the development process. It is not possible to directly compare community benefit funds as each project is unique.