Public Consultation
There should be some form of public consultation for every wind farm proposal (it is now a statutory requirement in Scotland) Successful public engagement requires dialogue between the developer, the public and the local planning authority.
The exercise should evolve over the lifetime of a project, and involve informing the public of the proposal and consulting with them in relation to it, and, where possible, incorporating their comments and concerns within the final proposal.
The government commissioned a report in 2007 entitled “The Protocol for Public Engagement with Proposed Wind Energy Developments in England” which sets out recommendations for developers to follow during the course of a project.
We are able to advise clients on the level of public consultation which should be undertaken, using the Protocol as a guide, and also at what stages the consultation should take place.
Remote Public Consultations: Newsletters, Dedicated Websites and Telephone Lines.
We have project managed several successful public consultation exercises for clients. Our roles have included:
- Writing and designing a Newsletter to be distributed to residents in the local community, informing them of a wind farm proposal. This process can be repeated following major developments to keep the public informed, eg following changes to the design of the scheme or submission of a planning application
- Writing a questionnaire to be included with the Newsletters encouraging local residents to put forward their views on the proposal
- Liaising with local press, to ensure the local newspapers are accurately reporting the proposal. Placing adverts in local newspapers to inform the public about progress of the project
- Overseeing the development of a website dedicated to the project, to be updated as the proposal progresses to ensure the public is kept up to speed
- Setting up and manning a dedicated telephone information line for members of the public to call if they require information about the proposal and to also pass comments to the developer. Members of our experienced development team will be on hand to answer calls and respond to any technical queries