Evidence, Publics and Decision-making for Major Wind Infrastructure

The involvement of affected communities in local planning for wind energy projects has been much examined. Typically, research has addressed the potential opposition to such schemes and sought to understand it. However, major wind energy developments do not go through the local planning system but are rather dealt with by the regime for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) established by the Planning Act 2008. Under this regime, major projects are considered by an Examining Authority from the Planning Inspectorate, who makes a recommendation in an extensive report to the Secretary of State, who then takes the decision. There are opportunities for affected communities to express their concerns about and aspirations for the projects, both in writing and at a public Examination. But, subject to important provisos, decisions must be made in accordance with relevant National Policy Statements, and these set out a strong policy commitment in favour of low carbon energy infrastructure investment. This raises interesting questions about how decision-making on major wind projects is taking the concerns of diverse local publics into account in practice. A pilot research project suggested that central government policy was constraining engagement with public concerns and aspirations and that, while publics considered that their views should be taken into account, they were doubtful that they would. Furthermore this pilot research suggested that local residential and business communities engaged differently with the NSIP regime and that various environmental impacts were also considered in diifferent ways. The reasons were seen to lie in the way that 'evidence' was framed within the decision-making process. This project therefore examines the way that local publics engage with decision-making on major wind infrastructure projects and how their local knowledge is framed as 'evidence', working through the implications for: the decision-making; the mitigation measures that are offered local communities to mitigate impacts; and - more broadly - the legitimacy of the NSIP regime. The project operates with a multi-disciplinary approach, drawing on planning studies, science and technology studies and legal studies. The conceptual framing that draws these different disciplines together is one that recognises the centrality of language in framing discussion, constructing knowledge and justifying decisions and the role of institutional arrangements in shaping how local communities are engaged with and treated by planning decision-making processes. The methodology bridges these disciplines by developing and adopting a common coding system for the various forms of data that are collected and linking this coding system closely to the concerns raised by the conceptual framework: how knowledge is constructed as evidence, how evidence is relied on in decision-making on major wind projects and how this affects local communities. The research questions that the project addressses are:
1. How are publics' concerns and aspirations taken into account in planning decision-making for major wind infrastructure projects?
2. How is the lay knowledge of publics and accredited expert knowledge constructed as 'evidence' within such decision-making?
3. How does the construction of knowledge claims as evidence impact on the handling of diverse publics' concerns over major wind projects in the final decision-making?
4. How does this affect the potential mitigation of impacts on local communities (residential and other) within such decision-making?
These questions will be answered by analysis of: documentary material relating to major wind projects held on the Planning Inspectorate website, discussion within focus groups on decision-making for such projects; survey of and interviews with local people who have been involved in such decision-making; and interviews and workshops with experts and key stakeholders in wind farm projects.

The research will provide a deeper understanding of how publics' concerns and aspirations are handled within the decision-making process for major wind farm developments and how they are constituted (or not) as evidence. It will support the development of recommendations and guidance for how local communities may be engaged more effectively within these decision-making processes through innovative approaches and new methodologies for incorporating lay knowledge as evidence. There are a number of groups who will benefit from this research:
1. Local communities affected by proposed major wind farm developments;
2. Policy makers concerned with the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime, how it operates and how it may be improved and possibly reformed to enhance its legitimacy;
3. Local government planners and planning lawyers engaged in the day-to-day operation of the NSIP regime and dealing with local affected communities;
4. National non-governmental organisations (NGOs) concerned to represent local communities with respect to major wind farm projects and to overcome conflicts with environmental agendas, including climate protection; and
5. Wind farm developers seeking authorisation of major projects through the NSIP regime and also concerned about ongoing relationships with local communities in the viciinity of permitted developments.
The methodology of the project involves these different users at a number of stages to ensure both that their views are taken into account and also that emerging recommendations reflect the practicalities of all these different interests being involved in the NSIP authorisation regime. There is a thorough Pathways to Impact plan to maintain stakeholder involvement during the project and to ensure wide dissemination and impact as the project comes to a close.