Advice to Chris Whitehead
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- From
- Chris Whitehead
- Date advice given
- 14 May 2010
- Enquiry type
We have recently been employed by a wind farm developer to write their Statement of Community Consultation for an off-shore wind farm development. Is there any specific guidance for off-shore developments with regard to: Who should be consulted? How? & When?
Advice given
The following documents should be of relevance to you and are available on our website: CLG's Planning Act 2008 Guidance on Pre-application consultation [http://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/guidancepreapplication.pdf] This document discusses how to consult with local communities and stakeholders.
The IPC's advise note 1 Paras 19-30 [http://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/IPC-pre-app-guidance-note-1.pdf] This document details the statutory duties on a promoter with regards to the SoCC.
These guidance notes discuss the SoCC in generic terms and are designed to be applicable to differing project types. The onus is on the promoter to ensure that these guidelines are applied to the specifications of their project. As an example, for off-shore wind projects I advise that when consulting with the relevant Local Authorities on the Draft SoCC, similar consultation should take place with organisations such as the Marine Management Organisation and the Marine and Coastguard Agency, drawing upon their expertise and knowlegde on the makeup of local off-shore stakeholders and communities.