EDF Energy Nuclear New Build stakeholder engagement and public

consultations (practical lessons learned) David Eccles, EDF Energy

David Hall, Somerset County Council Rupert Cox, Somerset Chamber of Commerce Andy Berry, Bridgwater College

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Hinkley Point C – Public Engagement

David Eccles– Head of HPC Communications

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What we want to build

Visualisation of Hinkley Point C

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The HPC Project

Related Consents

Start of construction

Developer

PLANNING

Infrastructure

Planning Commission

(Development consent)

SAFETY & SECURITY

Office for

Nuclear Regulation

(Site Licence)

ENVIRONMENT

Environment Agency

(Environmental

permits)

Not representative of all

consents and permits required

WASTE &

DECOMMISSIONING

Government

(Funded

Decommissioning Plan)

External Affairs – identify your stakeholders

• Local people

• Local interest groups

• Local councils

• Local Businesses

• Schools and colleges

• Press, TV, radio and internet

• Local campaign groups

• MPs

• Our employees

• Trade Unions

• Regulators

• Government departments

• Select Committees

• Professional Institutions

• Trade Associations

• National campaign groups

All need to be kept up to date with consistent messages

LOCAL NATIONAL

Key Stakeholders – for Hinkley Point C

• The Planning Inspectorate

• Governmental Departments - Department for business innovation and skills (BIS) and Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

• West Somerset and Sedgemoor District Councils and

• Somerset County Council.

• Marine Management Organisation (MMO)

• Town and parish councils.

• Local schools and colleges.

• Local, national and regional businesses and suppliers.

• The community

• Media

• National and local politicians

• NGOs

Protestors and anti-groups

Community Benefit

Consultation guidance – top tips

• Propose, listen, consider, review and respond

• Clear about scope

• Provide options if possible

• Multi-stage, iterative

• Define by geography & category

• Use variety of techniques

• Fully document and record all responses

• Synchronise consultation with statutory/ land consultees (s42-45), local communities (s47) and general public (s48)

Consultation and Engagement

STAGE 1

November 2009 – January 2010

STAGE 2

July 2010 – October 2010

STAGE 2(a)

February 2011 – March 2011

STAGE 2(b)

July 2011 – August 2011

Almost 2 years of formal consultation

34 public exhibitions

Direct engagement with 6,480 consultees

More than 2,000 responses

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Documentation

DCO: 55,000 pages, 126 binders

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How we communicated with our stakeholders

• Three consultation zones to reflect geographic spread of development, and direct/indirect impacts and benefits, with different intensity of consultation

• Wide variety of communication and consultation techniques deployed

• Engaged ‘hard to hear’ groups, ensure accessibility of consultation materials.

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Consultation Zones – 3 tiers of information

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Communications tools & tactics

• Bridgwater office opened

• Community newsletter with full postal delivery in ‘inner’ consultation zone

• Dedicated project website

• Local media coverage and advertising

• Direct mail to residents

• Consultation summary documents

• Translation and interpretation, large print formats and home visits

• Questionnaires, Freephone and freepost facility

• Later – Twitter and social media

• Interactive consultation tool at events

Consultation Tools

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Consultation events

• EDF Energy Community Forum: Transport and Main Site Neighbourhood Fora

• Public exhibitions near development sites and in retail

centres

• Workplace exhibitions at Council offices and Hinkley Point A+B sites

• Town/Parish and community group meetings

• ‘Drop in’ events – no big public meetings

• Stakeholder workshops

• Focus groups/surveys for the ‘hard to reach’

• Business supplier events.

Consultation activity – some examples

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Events/Meetings/Exhibitions

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Listening to Feedback – analysing responses

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Consultation outcomes & outputs

• Directly shaped final proposals

• Engaged with almost 6,500 consultees

• 34 public exhibitions and well over 100 meetings

• 109,000 unique visitors to project website

• Prompted more than 2,000 responses, from which almost 33,000 comments were extracted

• 5% of comments related to “nuclear” matters

• Traffic a key issue

• Consultation Report part of DCO Application

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How the consultation influenced the proposals

• Reduced size of worker campuses

• Moved southern site boundary further away from local residents

• Improved landscaping

• Dropped plans for campus at Williton, fabrication facility at Combwich and freight management at Cannington

• Switched greenfield for brownfield sites e.g. J24 near M5

• Introduced voluntary property price support and noise mitigation schemes in affected communities

• Mitigation packaged enhanced

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Lessons Learned

• Importance of joint working with local authorities e.g. SoCC consultation, Report on Adequacy of Consultation

• High level and flexible Consultation Plan to avoid repeating the exercise

• Multi-stage, iterative approach to consultation with options or alternatives, not just a worked up scheme – it was real !

• Variety of consultation techniques to engage with the ‘hard to hear’

• Consultation database/software for documenting the process

• Open, honest and transparent approach

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Not just consultation - campaigning

• Third party advocacy generated in media, presentations,

speeches, informal networking etc.

• Local advertising campaign to highlight job, investment &skills opportunities – using real-life case studies

• Sponsorship of ‘Green Supplement’ in local papers

• Proactive media relations

• Local attitudes & perceptions polled to guide activity and

provide insight

Continuing Engagement – being a good neighbour

Community Relations – being a good neighbour

• Dedicated community team

• Regular parish drop-ins

• Parish Lengthsman

• Home visits

• ‘Helping Hands’ volunteering scheme for employees

• ‘Talk Service’

• Discretionary sponsorship

Remember: You will be neighbours for 70 years!