Community Engagement for Onshore Wind Developments: Best Practice Guidance for England

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Community Engagement for Onshore Wind Developments: Best Practice Guidance for England Community Engagement for Onshore Wind Developments: Best Practice Guidance for England © Crown copyright October 2014 You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected]. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at: [email protected] URN: 14D/382 This document is also available from our website at www.gov.uk/decc. 2 Community Engagement for Onshore Wind Developments Best Practice Guidance for England Prepared by Regen SW for the Department of Energy and Climate Change 3 Contents Contents ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Ministerial Foreword ..................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 7 The opportunity ........................................................................................................................ 7 The reason ............................................................................................................................... 7 The audience ............................................................................................................................ 8 Using this guidance ................................................................................................................ 10 Principles of best practice .......................................................................................................... 13 For the developer: .................................................................................................................. 13 For local communities: ............................................................................................................ 13 For the local authority: ............................................................................................................ 13 What is best practice? ................................................................................................................ 16 Developers ............................................................................................................................. 16 Communities .......................................................................................................................... 17 Local authorities ..................................................................................................................... 18 Preparation phase guidance: ..................................................................................................... 19 Background ......................................................................................................................... 19 1. Site selection .................................................................................................................. 21 2. Preparing the engagement plan ...................................................................................... 22 3. Informing environmental studies ..................................................................................... 26 4. Scoping the community benefits package ....................................................................... 28 5. General pre-application consultation ............................................................................... 30 Planning phase guidance: .......................................................................................................... 31 6. Submission of a planning application .............................................................................. 31 Post-consent phase guidance: ................................................................................................... 34 7. Discharge of planning conditions and securing agreement on community benefits ........ 34 8. Tendering and use of local contractors ........................................................................... 37 9. Construction and grid connection.................................................................................... 38 Operational phase guidance: ..................................................................................................... 40 10. Commissioning and operation....................................................................................... 40 11. Decommissioning and repowering ................................................................................ 42 Related documents .................................................................................................................... 43 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ 44 4 Ministerial Foreword Ministerial Foreword Communities hosting renewable energy play a vital role in meeting our national need for secure, clean energy and so it is important to foster the development of close and meaningful engagement between developers and local communities. The UK is facing an unprecedented energy challenge: we need to move from finite, high-carbon fossil fuels to clean, secure energy. Onshore wind has a key role to play in this future energy mix. Not only is it the cheapest form of large-scale renewable energy, which by 2020 is expected to power between 5.9m and 7m homes, it also has the potential to deliver significant benefits to local communities across the country. Whether by creating jobs and apprentices, funding local community projects and facilities or reducing electricity bills, onshore wind can make a real difference to local communities. The Coalition has been clear that the benefits of onshore wind projects must be shared with those communities hosting them. Seizing this opportunity requires ambition, innovation and commitment on all sides. Last year I was pleased to announce that the onshore wind industry, through its industry-wide community benefits protocol, had committed to a five-fold increase in the value of community benefit funds paid to local people. Now at a minimum level of £5,000 per MW per year, these funds are delivering millions of pounds worth of long-term investment to local communities. It is important however that we build on this commitment and assist communities and developers to work together to provide the types of benefits that local people truly want, in a way that is fair to all concerned and through a clear, transparent process. 5 Ministerial Foreword This guidance, drawn up in partnership between Government, community organisations and the onshore wind industry, sets out a typical development process and details when and where engagement fits within that. It also provides best practice and innovative examples to assist both developers and local communities in considering the best way to engage with one another, whilst recognising that every community is unique and no single approach fits all. Alongside this guide, I am also publishing new best practice guidance on community benefits and later this year we will launch a new Register of Community Benefits and Engagement to further help communities develop packages that are right for them. Furthermore, we have set up the Shared Ownership Taskforce to develop a framework to guide the offer of shared ownership to communities which is expected to be launched shortly. Taken together, this package is part of a step-change in the way that communities and onshore wind industry work in partnership, ensuring a future in which everyone is part of the renewable energy revolution. The Rt Hon Edward Davey 6 Introduction Introduction provide a better and more timely “Engagement is a two way consideration of the material benefits and impacts of the proposal, which is reflected process of openly sharing and in the decision-making process; and exchanging information, ensure that, if the proposal goes ahead, understanding different views, local people have the opportunity to shape listening and responding to how the development is actually realised suggestions, developing trust and and build an ongoing relationship with the dialogue to support effective developer2. working relationships to the mutual Supporting effective engagement is not about being in favour or against a particular 1 benefit of all involved. ” proposed development. It is about trying to make sure that: The opportunity decisions made in the planning system There is increasing recognition of the value are as well-informed, evidence-based and that good community engagement can bring to timely as possible; and developments, helping to make them locally appropriate and providing the foundations of any development that is permitted reflects positive long-term relationships between the an understanding of local interests and host community and those involved in the opportunities for positive local gain3. development. Standards of engagement are continually evolving and this guidance aims to The reason recognise, encourage and share this. The aim of this guidance is to set out best Effective engagement between a developer, practice on engagement, help people local community, local authority
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