All-S4-Poe-03
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ALL-S4-POE-03 The Mid Wales (Powys) Conjoined Public Inquiry into 5 Windfarm Proposals and a 132kV overhead Electric Line Connection Session Four Alliance Proof of Evidence Alison Davies Community Consultation Alliance Proof of Evidence – Session 4 – Community Consultation I am Alison Davies. I have lived in Montgomeryshire for 41 years and have worked in Wales for 38 years. I am married to a bilingual Welsh farmer and have two adult sons who are both bilingual. We farm in the parish of Llanerfyl. I have over seventeen years of practical experience of community and environmental third sector organisations and social enterprises, and many years of volunteering, backed by experience of developing and managing three successful businesses; I am a partner in the family farm and work for a consultancy that works both nationally and internationally. I specialise in: monitoring and evaluation, business development, facilitation, organisational learning and development, rural development, ecosystem goods and services, community development. I am an experienced researcher, specialising in qualitative information. I took an active role in setting up the first Local Records Centre in Wales as well as other voluntary and statutory environmental initiatives throughout Wales. I am founding Director / Trustee and Vice Chairman of a grant making trust, which distributes funds to the voluntary sector for environmental work. I helped form, and am now Chairman of Conservation of Upland Powys with over 650 members. This statement is made on behalf of the Alliance. The Alliance wishes to make the case that the fundamental character of mid Wales, its residents and visitors is dependent upon the natural environment. Change to that environment not only affects near neighbours but also the culture and economy of the area because of the impact upon that natural environment, both on wildlife and landscape. These three are interwoven factors, and reliant upon Mid Wales’ social capital, financial capital and natural capital. It is this ecosystem that allows us to function in a robust and sustainable society 1. Introduction 1.1 Consultation by developers has been a cause for concern for twenty years; locally and nationally there is strong feeling that it is little more than a tick box exercise lacking any robust evidence to support claims. This became apparent in the 1990s and Conservation of Upland Montgomeryshire (predecessor to CUP) undertook a confidential house to house survey of everyone whose home was within 1.5 miles of 2 Alliance Proof of Evidence – Session 4 – Community Consultation Mynydd yr Hendre windfarm proposal1. This survey received more than 98% response rate and gave 74.5% against windfarm development. This was of particular note as it included all of those within the research area, so included all of the families with a pecuniary interest. In April 2011 a petition was initiated by CUP and with the help of 100 volunteers who manned stalls, in shifts, in Newtown and Welshpool for the whole of one Saturday, gathered more than 17,000 signatures with names and addresses. This petition was presented at the Senedd in May 2011 when approximately 1,500 people protested there regarding the proposals for mid Wales. At that time there was no facility for electronic petitions to the Assembly. For that reason the Alliance undertook this consultation. 1.2 During one week in July the Alliance ran consultation stalls for a total of ten hours in Newtown and Welshpool to find out what people valued in Mid Wales. In Newtown the stall was held in Bear Lanes on Tuesday 9th July, market day, whilst in Welshpool the stalls were held on Friday 12th July and Saturday 13th July. In total 260 people were consulted. Tables with pin boards were set up along with a map of Mid Wales and slips for further comments. Fourteen volunteers were given guidance and support prior to the events and also at the stalls. 1.3 Passers-by were invited to participate in consultation concerning their use of the countryside for recreational purposes, to give information and their opinions by sticking pins in boards as well as by making written comments. When someone was unable to write their comment it was written by one of the volunteers and read back to ensure it was exactly as stated. 1 The site of this application became Cwmllwyd and later Tir Gwynt (approved August 2010). 3 Alliance Proof of Evidence – Session 4 – Community Consultation 2. The process 2.1 Volunteers were instructed not to enter into discussions about windfarms and to explain the purpose of the consultation clearly to ensure a robust and fair process. They worked in small teams, and the following email was sent to volunteers beforehand: Attached to this email you will see a set of sheets. All but 3 of these will be pinned to cork boards and people will be able to respond to questions by sticking pins into the correct spaces. 2 of the sheets will be cut into slips so that people can make comments and pop them into the box provided. One sheet is for people to write on. There will be a map of the area which they will stick a numbered pin in to mark where they like to go, and then write on the sheet to describe their activity. You will have two folding but sturdy tables, three pin boards, a box for comments paper slips and pens. I (Alison Davies) will be there at about (…) to help take the stall down and take everything away. The important factor in what you are doing, as you will see, from the questions, is that this must be open and information gathering. We have to make sure that we haven’t pushed people into making certain responses. This must not be an anti wind stall, but a real consultation. Remember that this has been one of our complaints about the developers – they don’t consult. Everything you gather will be produced as evidence, so it’s important that people write in their own words – they will all be reported to the Inspector. When you invite people to take part say something like, “We’d like to know what you think about mid Wales. Have you a few minutes? You just stick a few pins in a board.” Invite everyone to take part and guide / help them. Some people can’t read that well and others are hesitant to get started. 2.2 No emails or communication informing of dates, or location of the stalls was sent to Alliance contacts as it was imperative that the results should not be skewed by orchestrated participation. 4 Alliance Proof of Evidence – Session 4 – Community Consultation 3. Age 3.1 Participants were invited to stick a pin in the board in the relevant age group and gender. The team invited as many as possible to take part thus, selection was made only on opportunity to speak to the people and that they had five minutes to spare to take part. 3.2 It was expected that there would be fewer school-aged participants on Tuesday and Friday than on the Saturday; however, a number of teenagers were in town over the lunch hour and chose to take part. All ages were invited, and those who found difficulty in reading the questions were offered support to enable them to participate. under 10 Figure 1: Age 3% 11 - 20 12% over 60 36% 21 - 40 20% 41 - 59 28% • The age distribution within each gender was similar • 15% of participants were under 20 • 48% were aged 21 – 59 • 36% were aged 60 and over; many are still economically active. 4. Location of home 4.1 Participants were asked about the location of their home so that we understood whether their response was that of someone who lived permanently within the project area, or further afield. 5 Alliance Proof of Evidence – Session 4 – Community Consultation Figure 2: Where do you live? Overseas 4% Elsewhere in UK 17% Shropshire 5% Elsewhere in Wales Mid Wales 2% 72% • 77% live in Shropshire and Mid Wales • 23% were visitors to the area from other parts of Wales, the UK and overseas, despite much of this event being held during the week and in term time; unsurprising as mid Wales tourism is the largest industry. 5. Term of residency 5.1 There has been much made of the assumption that local people are content to see windfarms in mid Wales, and that it is ‘new-comers’ who object and want the countryside ‘preserved in aspic’. 5.2 We wanted to find out how long the participants had lived in the project area and whether the value people put on their local environment was different if they had recently moved to Mid Wales; so those who had responded that this was their home location were asked: If you live in Mid Wales or Shropshire, how long have you or your family lived here? 6 Alliance Proof of Evidence – Session 4 – Community Consultation Figure 3: If you live in Mid wales or Shropshire, how long have you, Less than 10 or your family lived here? years 17% More than 2 generations 29% 11 - 25 years 31% 26 - 50 years 23% • 17% had lived in the area for 10 years or less • 52% had lived in the area for over 25 years • 83% had lived in the area for 11 years or more 6. Value of heritage and landscape 6.1 Positive responses were given by 98% of participants to the question: Do you value the heritage and landscape of Mid Wales? 6.2 Those who answered positively were then asked: What aspects [of the heritage and landscape are of most interest or value to you? Again they were able to respond by sticking pins in a board, determining whether an aspect was of high or medium value.