LGA submission to Government’s consultation on developing local partnerships for onshore wind in England

The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national voice of local government. We are a politically led, cross party membership organisation, representing councils from England and Wales.

Our role is to support, promote and improve local government, and raise national awareness of the work of councils. Our ultimate ambition is to support councils to deliver local solutions to national problems.

Councils want to work as partners with central government on climate action. Councils are well-placed to do this as place-shapers, convenors of communities and partners, delivery agents, commissioners, and owners of assets. Net zero can only be achieved with decarbonisation happening in every place across the country and this will require local leadership.

As democratically elected place makers, councils know their communities and their communities have trust in them. LGA polling in June 2021 found that 73 per cent of respondents most trusted their councils compared to 17 per cent that most trusted government when it came to local decision making.

Councils need to play a pivotal role in effective energy system planning and operation at the sub national level. Councils, as planning authorities, shape place through plan making process and through location specific Masterplans. Through these processes, growth areas are identified, and areas of land are designated for uses. These plan making processes shape future land use and with that comes future energy demand.

Increasingly councils are looking to play their role in supporting decision-making around the local electricity system. For instance, many councils are now looking to develop Local Area Energy Plans but are also considering other ways to best shape place given the likely largescale shift to the electrification of buildings and transport. Councils, as community leaders, can be a positive and influential partner when taking this agenda forward.

One of the challenges communities and onshore wind developers face when designing and implementing community benefits is agreeing community benefits that meet the needs of all the communities impacted by a single development.

Embedding principles of best practice engagement into planning guidance would help bring about a level of consistency and certainty ensuring a level playing field. However, what is more important is to empower and resource councils to mediate and negotiate to ensure communities get the community benefit they deserve.

Engaging the community

Question 1. Do you agree with the proposal to embed the principles of best practice engagement into planning guidance?

Question 2. What other ways are there to improve community engagement when onshore wind developers consult with the local community?

Question 3. Are there other methods of engagement between developers and local communities that should be considered best practice?

Question 4. What are the main barriers to effective engagement between local communities and developers?

Question 5. How can effective community engagement help to gain community support for onshore wind?

Question 6. Are there ways community support for onshore wind can be defined?

Answers to questions 1 - 6

Generally, we agree with the proposal to embed the principles of best practice engagement into planning guidance as this provides clarity and consistency to communities, developers, and councils both as Local Planning Authorities and climate change leaders.

If climate action is going to be achieved in a cost effective and fair way, then localism will need to be considered front and centre in this journey. Councils are democratically elected and as place makers, where critical infrastructure is planned in a local authority area, they need to be at the centre of community engagement to maximise the potential local benefit and bring communities along.

Councils will need to play an increasingly predominant role in energy systems planning as the local planning authorities, place shapers, conveners of communities and local partners and asset-owners. Councils are whole place leaders responsible for housing, planning, transport, and economic growth.

Many councils also have plans to generate renewable energy and develop district heat networks and therefore play a significant role in local area energy planning across all vectors. Onshore infrastructure brings employment opportunities to local areas, but this opportunity can only be maximised if communities are given enough time to develop a skilled workforce. Early engagement and planning are essential for socioeconomic benefits to be realised at their full potential. Councils such are Cornwall and Devon are already heavily involved in floating offshore wind projects in the southwest and the value those councils provide can be replicated across the nation.

Given the link between local spatial plans and strategies produced by councils and the overlay of regional system plans, councils are not only keen to be consulted on what is planned in their area but also ready to help, support and create local socioeconomic opportunities of large-scale net zero infrastructure plans that are considered of national importance.

However, grid capacity continues to be the main obstacle both for renewable energy projects connecting to the grid and new residential and commercial development. With the introduction of Regional System Planners (RSPs), currently being consulted on, the opportunity to engage with councils at a regional level could become a viable option, subject to the RSP’s spatial orientation and their governance structure.

Increasingly councils are looking to play their role in supporting decision-making around the local electricity system. For instance, many councils are now looking to develop Local Area Energy Plans and are considering how best to shape place given the likely largescale shift to the electrification of buildings and transport.

Community benefits

Question 7. Do you agree with the proposal to update the existing Community Benefits Protocol for community benefits from onshore wind to reflect innovative and emerging schemes, like energy bill discounts? If so, in what ways should the Protocol be updated?

Question 8. How is the current system for community benefits from onshore wind working? Can it be improved and, if so, how?

Question 9. What community benefits packages are currently being offered by onshore wind developers and are the packages being offered sufficient? Are there other ways the host community should benefit?

Question 10. Are there new or innovative types of community benefits that could be offered from onshore wind developers, such as local electricity bill discounts? Are there alternative approaches to facilitating the provision of innovative community benefits from onshore wind that should be considered?

Question 11. What challenges do communities and onshore wind developers face when designing and implementing community benefits?

Answer to questions 7 - 11

Community benefits need to reflect the needs of the communities eligible and therefore updating the existing Community Benefits Protocol to reflect innovative and emerging schemes is positive, where they meet the needs of the communities.

As democratically elected place makers, councils know their communities and their communities have trust in them. LGA polling in June 2021 found that 73 per cent of respondents most trusted their councils compared to 17 per cent that most trusted government when it came to local decision making.

One of the challenges communities and onshore wind developers face when designing and implementing community benefits is agreeing community benefits that meet the needs of all the communities impacted by a single development.

Where communities and developers cannot agree on the community benefits, a mediation role is often required. Councils, but not the Local Planning Authority (LPA) due to the immaterial nature of community benefits, are best placed to provide this mediation role. Without additional resource, there is often not enough capacity within the council.

Through the pre-planning application process, the principles of the development and the community benefits consultation process can be tested but it is not an appropriate function for mediation. Mediation should occur outside of the planning system with community outreach teams liaising with policy teams. Where developers and communities are unable to agree, the developer should cover the cost of mediation.