News

What do the public really think about your development?

When faced with opposition from a hostile group opposed to your development it can be easy to think the whole world is against you. A key question to consider is "What do the local population really think of your development?". The answer may surprise you.

One way to answer the question is to undertake representative telephone research. We have just undertaken a piece of research for a proposed wind farm in Perthshire. Vattenfall commissioned the work on their Logiealmond development after planning permission had been refused by the local planning authority. The local anti-group had made vociferous claims that the local community were in opposition to the scheme.

Our telephone research showed that only 18% of the affected community were opposed to the development. A very different outcome to that portrayed by the anti-group. The findings from the telephone research have just been presented to the public enquiry on the development.

The article from the local newspaper, the Perthshire Advertiser, is shown below:

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a giant wind farm in a scenic area of Perthshire have been supported by more than half of the locals surveyed, according to the developers.

Independent researchers questioned 406 residents in the area around the development ahead of a make-or-break public inquiry later this month.

And just over half – 52.5% – supported theproject.

A third had no strong opinion while less than a fifth (18%) opposed it.

Vattenfall Wind Power want the go-ahead to erect 14, 300-foot high turbines at Logiealmond, six miles west of Dunkeld.

The site, at Findownie Hill, covers almost 5,000 acres of mainly open moorland and rough grazing. It is owned by the Mansfield Estates and is managed primarily for sporting purposes.

The telephone survey was commissioned by Vattenfall and undertaken by Facilitating Change in April of this year.

The survey also found that:
73.2% of respondents believed climate change is an issue that requires action.
80.3% of respondents believed the development of renewable energy to be important.

John Price, development director with Vattenfall Wind Power, said: “We are encouraged by the results of this telephone survey because it confirms significant levels of support for the proposed wind farm.

“We have always believed a wind farm at Logiealmond will not only help Scotland achieve its ambitious green energy targets but also bring lasting benefits to the local community.

“We believe the results of this telephone survey have further strengthened the case for the development of the wind far there.”

An appeal was lodged by the developer in 2008 following a unanimous decision by Perth and Kinross Council to reject the proposals.

The appeal, to be chaired by Scottish Government Inquiry Reporter Michael Shiel, will open in Amulree Village Hall on August 17.

If the project gets the go-ahead, it would generate approximately 42 megawatts of electricity.

It would create approximately 150 direct and 50 indirect jobs, with much of the capital expenditure on the turbines retained in the Perth and Kinross economy, it is claimed.

A community fund would also be set up, generating between £560,000 and £1.2 million for the expected 25-year lifespan of the windfarm.

Are you ready and PACked?

This year sees the introduction of the Planning Act etc. (2006) in Scotland. This legislation is going to bring changes to the planning application process. At Facilitating Change we are focusing on the pre-application consultation (PAC) aspects of the legislation.

From the 6th. April Planning Authorities will be legally obliged to provide advice on how developers will have to consult prior to submitting their planning application. This will be provided in response to a "Proposal of Application Notice" which has to be provided by the developer for all National and Major developments. The advice given by the Planning Authority should be based on the National Standards for Public Engagement outlined in Planning Advice Note (PAN) 81.

From 3rd. August all planning applications for National and Major developments must meet the consultation g uidance provided by the relevant planning authority. This includes submitting a pre-application consultation (PAC) report with each planning submission. Failure to meet these requirements will mean that your aplication will not be heard.

DON'T WORRY!

At Facilitating Change we've already produced pre-application consultation (PAC) reports and provided Public and Stakeholder Engagement (PSE) support for a number of clients. We've also been working closely with the Scottish Government to understand how this legislation will be implemented.

If you have any questions or want to find out how Facilitating Change can help you - please call Chris, Lone or Rachel on 01786 820111 or drop an email to chris@fchange.com.

We'll also send updates on the implementation throughout the year.

Today's the day.....

From today the Development Management Regulations come fully into force in Scotland - this legislation applies to all proposed National and Major developments.

Over the last few months we having been working with planning authorities and developers to apply the pre-application consultation elements of the legislation to a number of planning applications.

The responses that we have received from Planning Authorities have been:
- Inconsistent;
- Late;
- Surprising!

In one instance the Planning Authority advised that any consultation undertaken before the Proposal for Application Notice was submitted would be ignored by the Planning Authority.

Our main recommendation is that you should start the pre-application process process as early as possible. Many people that we have spoken to have read the legislation which details the requirement for a 'Proposal of Application Notice' and have decided to wait until 12 weeks before they are due to submit their planning application and then submit the notice. Our experience suggests that this is far too late and the result is that additional consultation requirements, if they are required by the Planning Authority, could lead to a delay in your planning submission.

We would recommend submitting the 'Proposal of Application Notice' before undertaking any consultation with the community.

If you have any questions about the new legislation or Public and Stakeholder Engagement please do not hesitate to give us a call.