Dual formats for continuous stakeholder involvement

Year

2010

Organisation

National Grid

Description

National Grid employs dual formats for stakeholder involvement, community forums and thematic groups.

Main information:

Community Forums are divided into two types:

Strategic Community Forum (SCF)

  • Deals with all matters that affect the route corridor
  • Includes representatives from affected local authorities, parish councils, interest groups and resident associations
  • Meets roughly on a quarterly basis

Local Community Forums (LCF)

  • Focuses on local issues relevant to specific communities along the length of the proposed route corridor
  • Participants agree on Terms of Reference, membership criteria and other relevant operational matters

In order to be eligible for either the SCF or LCF, members need to be genuine representatives of local groups or organisations of more than five individuals. Everyone can apply for membership to a forum. Community Forum meetings are held throughout the course of the project, including both the planning and the construction phases. During the session, different formats are used, such as round table discussions or break out groups; however, an independent strategic chair is present at each meeting, who has been appointed through Planning Aid.

In addition to Community Forums, National Grid has developed three different thematic groups for “biodiversity and ecology”, “landscape and views”, and “cultural heritage and archaeology”. In these groups and at earlier project stages, NGOs are involved along with statutory agencies, such as environmental authorities. The groups advise National Grid e.g. in relation to collecting information on the Environmental Impact Assessment.

RGI gratefully acknowledges the EU LIFE funding support:

EU LIFE funding support Logo

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the LIFE Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.