Locating renewables in community contexts
One day conference at the OU - Nov 15th, 10am –5.30pm

Venue: The Berrill Lecture Theatre, Open University, Milton Keynes



9.45 am Registration and coffee



10.30 am Session 1: Renewables and planning



Chair: Prof. Andy Blowers (OU) Introduction



10.35 Case Study: Colin Palmer (Wind Prospect) – Fenland Green 
Investments and local ownership of renewables -What mainstream 
developers can do to involve the public



10.50 Planning: Dave Toke (University of Birmingham) UK: What are key 
factors which influence wind power planning outcomes?

11.05 1. Joyce Loring ( ex SPRU) How locally inspired projects utilize 
local social networks to improve the chances of planning consent

11.20 2. Maarten Wolsink and Sylvia Breukers (University of Amsterdam) 
Nimbyism and

comparisons between The Netherlands and the UK

11.35 3. Patrick Devine-Wright (DeMonfort University) - analysis of NIMBisam



11.50 Discussant: Andrea Davies from Campaign to Protect Rural England 
(CPRE)



12.00 Stephen Ward, Centre For Sustainable Energy: Enhancing Community 
Benefits from large-scale wind projects.


12.15 Questions/ Discussion

12.45 Lunch- Buffet



Session 2: Community Involvement

2.pm Chair: Prof. Dave Elliott (OU)



2.05 Intro: EU successes - Dave Toke

EU Case Studies:



2.15 1. Henning Holst, from North Germany, who will focus on a new 
locally owned 50 MW project and discuss German local ownership in general



2.30 2. Local ownership in Denmark: Soren Hermansen from Samsoe, 
Denmark- wind,

biomass and solar (plus OU video- 10 mins)



2.55 3. Dirk Kestelen, from Germany who will talk about farmer ownership 
and ‘burgerwindparks’ in Germany



3.10 Questions

3.20 Tea



UK Case Studies of success in planning for local ownership;

3.35 Geraint Davies: The Moel Maelogen project- how local ownership 
helped get us

planning consent, and plans to give opportunities to the public to 
invest in the project



3.50 Adam Twine: The Westmill Wind Co-operative – the campaign for 
co-operative clean energy. A locally inspired project that will be owned 
by local people through a public share offer

4.05 Questions

Proposals and problems:

4.20 1. Helen Davies: Awel Aman Tawe community co-operative proposal - 
where are we now?

4.35 2. Paul Upham : Biomass at Winkleigh – Problems and prospects in 
local planning for biomass energy



4.50 Discussant: Chris Tomlinson (BWEA)



5.00 Discussion

5.30 pm END



Registration fee: £35. The Open University ,Walton Hall can be reached 
by train from Milton Keynes Central- Virgin trains from Euston take 35 
-40 mins, then a taxi to the OU, which takes 5- 10 mins. Or by car from 
the M 1 Junction 13 or 14. Aim for Walton Hall. There is free parking 
available on the OU site, near the Berrill Building- which, in addition 
to the Lecture Theatre, also houses the OU Visitors Center. Maps and 
more detailed directions are available on the OU webpage: 
http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/locations.aspx#hq

More details from: [log in to unmask]





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