North West Hydro Resource Model

Hydro Resource Evaluation Tool

public acceptability and engagement


Any potential renewable energy development project is likely to need to address certain public acceptability issues. Low head hydro projects have not become particularly controversial in the UK, but concerns about impacts may still arise and become an issue in achieving necessary consents. An effective process of public engagement can help to address these and to achieve a productive relationship and dialogue with local people. 

Engagement is also central to developing a low head hydro installation as a community project where local people are active participants and potentially shareholders.

This section of the web-site is intended to lead you through the main questions that need to be asked of your project from the beginning in relation to public acceptability and engagement issues. Although there are no definitive ‘showstoppers’ for a project that are purely acceptability issues, the section should help anyone thinking of developing a low-head small-scale hydro-power scheme in the North West to anticipate and build in all of the main acceptability issues from the outset, and to begin to think about how to design an engagement strategy.

 

Why do I need to engage with the public?
Does my project have special planning issues?
Who can advise me?
What acceptability issues might be raised?
How should I go about engaging the public?
How can a community or social enterprise project be set up?
Some examples from UK projects.