Community involvement in wind energy: DECC guidance. Cheryl Hiles, Director, Regen SW

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1 Community involvement in wind energy: DECC guidance Cheryl Hiles, Director, Regen SW

2 DECC s response to the onshore wind call for evidence part A - Engagement guidance bench marking and monitoring good practice. DECC will set out the high standards we expect to see in engagement through a suite of good practice guidance for use by those parties involved in onshore wind developments, including communities, developers and local authorities. - Transparency and flexibility of benefits register and guidance. DECC will support communities to negotiate an appropriate benefit package by producing guidance on how best to engage with developers. In addition the Department will set up a register of community benefits. - Fivefold increase in community benefit package value to 5,000/MW/year - Compulsory pre-application consultation with local communities in planning for onshore wind - Empowering communities in planning - Community ownership and buy-in - Enhancing local economic impacts

3 Shared ownership (proposed) Community Benefit Best Practice Guidance 2014 All onshore renewable technologies Wind energy only Applies above 2.5M project cost Voluntary, but with a statutory lever to ensure compliance Additional to community benefits offer Applies to 5-50MW schemes Voluntary, but with an expectation created through the Renewable UK protocol Additional to shared ownership offer

4 Remember the objective Community partnerships with commercial organisations Where communities are involved in commercial energy installations, for example through shared ownership, the community can develop a stronger sense of ownership. Evidence from other countries suggests that this increased engagement of communities increases acceptance and support for large lowcarbon infrastructure. This can translate to greater understanding, less opposition and a quicker, cheaper development process. There may also be additional benefits such as increased awareness of energy and climate change issues and strengthening communities. Community Energy Strategy January 2014, section 3.3

5 Community benefits defined Community benefit funds - voluntary monetary payments from an onshore wind developer to the community, usually provided via an annual cash sum Benefits in-kind - other voluntary benefits which the developer provides to the community, such as in-kind works, direct funding of projects, one-off funding, local energy discount scheme or any other non-necessary site-specific benefits. Community investment (Shared ownership) includes co-operative schemes and online investment platforms. In the past this has been offered as a community benefit, but DECC considers this to be distinct from community benefits. DECC expects that in future, community investment will be made on commercial terms and not discounted or gifted to the community; Socio-economic community benefits - job creation, skills training, apprenticeships, opportunities for educational visits and raising awareness of climate change; Material benefits - derived from actions taken directly related to the development such as improved infrastructure.

6 Can your company find a way to operate in the areas of overlap? Community investment Community funds and in-kind benefits Local socioeconomic benefits

7 Key attributes of the benefits guidance Applies to projects of 5-50MW Should be relevant to the scale of development Start the conversation early Take a tailored, flexible & innovative approach Leave a legacy and ensure effectiveness Understand the community in which you are working

8 The guidance acknowledges the entire journey The need for community preparedness A package of measures, recognising the value of inkind benefits The need to ensure impact and leave a legacy It also includes: Checklists Case studies

9 We should be making more of the great stories Some example initiatives included as case studies Strategic fuel poverty initiative, West Coast Energy Community Care service, RWE Energy advice centre and educational ranger, Community Windpower Habitat enhancement, Scottish Power Renewables Mountain bike trails, RWE Local Electricity Discount Scheme, RES & Good Energy Strategic economic development funds Other good tactics: Establishment of community liaison groups

10 DECC Community Engagement for Onshore Wind Developments: Best Practice Guidance for England 2014 The right conversation is crucial... However, despite the many potential advantages of partnerships with commercial organisations there are barriers to these models being well-understood by both sides. Cultural and operational differences can be an issue. Perhaps the biggest of these is that it is difficult for relationships to become established or sometimes even for key actors to identify each other. There is a need for better dialogue and greater transparency between industry and community groups to increase understanding of opportunities for collaboration. Community Energy Strategy 2014

11 Principles of good engagement Developers Local Authorities Communities Timely Inclusive Transparent Fair Constructive Unconditional

12 Best practice engagement for developers of onshore wind developments in England of 5-50 MW installed capacity is: Publishing at an early stage the scope of the consultation, the outline plans for the development including the technical specification, the anticipated impacts of the proposed development and how these could be mitigated, company policy on local benefits, and opportunities for community participation. Engagement should be front-loaded. Communicating clearly progress and any changes in plans and timescales, giving reasons for changes as necessary. Preparing a community engagement plan outlining methods of involvement which are relevant to the communities concerned. It should include: Relevant stakeholders Basic milestones and key target dates Contact person for the project Engagement methods Information about the Environmental Impact Assessment process where applicable Review mechanisms Clarification of the nature and scale of potential community benefits and how these will be consulted upon Participating openly in the process of establishing and verifying information about the proposed development. Addressing barriers to participation to ensure people are able to access information about the development and contribute where they wish to. Ensure that feedback is made available on the results of engagement and how it is being used within the development of the project. Consulting on locally relevant benefits likely to arise from the project, taking care to distinguish between those which are material to planning decisions and those, such as specific community benefits, which are not.

13 Best practice examples at each stage of the process: Preparation phase: Site selection Workshops hosted by the community and supported by the developer to examine site selection opportunities Walkabouts - walking tours with site finding experts Finding community groups who have already identified sites for sustainable energy projects, for example in their neighbourhood plan Preparing the engagement plan Using local experts to facilitate engagement sessions to prepare the plan in partnership with the community Commissioning local research through local groups to feed into the plan - could include arts or history projects A drop-in space where people can share their views, such as an energy shop Having a stand at local exhibitions, fetes, carnivals or sponsoring local cultural events to get to know the local people Supporting public arts projects about local energy and wind power Holding a local festival at the proposed site Informing environmental studies Organising a focus group with the local wildlife, conservation and gardening groups who will be able to provide valuable insights into local habitats, species movements and the history of the area The use of photographic, video and three dimensional tools for illustrations Reviewing any existing environmental information in local, neighbourhood or parish plans Funding local specialists to undertake primary data collection Scoping the community benefit package Drop in event, focussing on community benefits Face to face meetings with local groups Community benefit forum or liaison group Youth focus group to engage young people in steering a community benefit fund General pre-application consultation Site visits to other operational wind farms Focus groups Door-knocking in the local area Facilitated workshops Community Liaison Groups

14 Best practice examples at each stage of the process: Planning phase: Up to date Question and Answer pages on the developer s website The use of social media and public relations campaigns to encourage contributions from the wider community A proactive media strategy to ensure that the facts are reported accurately in the media Independent verification of facts Campaigns to encourage participation, such as those run by Action for Renewables Post consent phase: Discharge of planning conditions and securing agreement on community benefits Facilitated negotiations Establishing a community benefit forum Tendering and use of local contractors Production and publication of a procurement and construction timeline Using local economic development partners to support the up-skilling of local contractors to be able to tender to work on the contract The production of procurement guidance Engagement in local supply chain and skills development initiatives One-to-one meetings with prospective local contractors Local procurement policies and open days for local suppliers Apprenticeships Construction and grid connection The use of Twitter and other social media to report on development progress Considerate construction techniques Regular newsletters/ updates in local media Live streams or filming of the construction process Launch party or official opening Art competitions for school children. Information provision on the performance of the windfarm Commissioning and operation Information display boards with contact information Family fun days Educational talks and guided walks by volunteers Local authority and statutory consultee visits and training sessions Energy advice provision Educational or environmental rangers

15 What would you prefer to do on your day off? Earlsburn windfarm Community Windpower

16 Summary Identify your company USP in this space. Consider the potential operational overlap and commercial advantages from taking a streamlined approach to shared ownership and community benefit. Get better at celebrating the success of the industry as a whole in this space. DECC are determined to make people aware of what is happening through best practice guidance and the community benefits register, so take a proactive stance and celebrate what your company has achieved. Refresh your approach community engagement to ensure you are harnessing the views of the silent majority by addressing barriers to participation. Talk to us if you want ideas on how to approach any of these.

17 Cheryl Hiles Director, Regen SW ,