Tensions between Scottish National Policies for Onshore Wind Energy and Local Dissatisfaction – Insights from Regulation

Tensions between Scottish National Policies for Onshore Wind Energy and Local Dissatisfaction – Insights from Regulation Theory Karen Parkhill Doctoral Researcher School Of City and Regional Planning, Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3WA 02920875169 parkhillk@cardiff.ac.uk

Contents • The Theory • Introducing the Case Studies and Interviewees • Constructions of Rurality • Constructions of Wind Farms • Policy ‘Review’ • Regulating the Regulators

Background • All information stems from doctoral research “The Social Regulation of the Rural Environment: A Scottish Case Study” • How is the rural environment regulated by state agencies at a national and local spatial level? • What is the extent and nature of non-governmental environmental organisation activities in rural areas and in what ways do these activities connect with the above state systems of regulation? • How is the environment understood, captured and contested by different social groups within particular rural spaces?

The Theory • Regulation Theory • What is it? • How can it be useful? • How am I using it?

Figure 1: The Overall Regulatory Schema (from Boyer and Saillard, 2002).

Exposing Environmental Norms and Values: The role of space, place, rurality and environmental contestation • How are environmental norms and values manifested? • The role of in place out of place • The role of transgression

The Case Studies • Both developments are commercial developments above 10MW • Case study 1: NEW (North East Wind Farm) • Development on Local Landowners land • L.A. denied planning permission based on visual impact • At Appeal • Case study 2: Borders • Development on Forestry Commission Land • No decision as yet – Holding objection from M.O.D. • Hint from L.A. permission would be denied unless two turbines removed due to visual intrusiveness on local conurbation • The Interviewees: • Stakeholders: Formal ascribed, Self ascribed, Researcher ascribed. • Interviews: Semi-structured in-depth (1-4 hours in length).

[Re]constructions of Nature, Countryside and Rurality • Intrinsic rurality (it is, official, perceived, it is because it isn’t!) • “It’s green, Look! It’s rural” (Andy, stakeholder against, local government, Borders) • Organically rural • Tactility rural • It is because They said so • Overall – differing constructs, non-linear, fragile, interconnected, limitless not exclusive.

Constructing the Wind (farm): Co-constructing Rurality • Assimilating the organic • Economic implications • Invoking the green and battling rhetoric's of sustainable development • Proliferation and precedent: • “But you know, here you wouldn’t get to build a wind farm on the top of Ben [name] but by God you’re going to see a lot of them if you go up Ben [name], it’s going to be like looking through a barred window” (Mike, stakeholder against, NEW) • “An understanding has crept in, according to which modernity is reduced to the frame of reference of technology and nature in the manner of perpetrator and victim” (Beck, 1992 cited in Irwin, 2001: 136).

Policy Review • National • Lack of strategy • Adoption • Deliberate • Transparency • Outdated • Moderate • Top-down • Local • Confused • Inundated • Lack of skills • Evolving

Cyber Wars and Rustic Tactics • NOA (networks of affiliation) – informal surveys, letter writing, no unified objectives • Action Groups – formal petitions, letter writing, objectives/manifesto and entering into political spheres • Elevation into ‘leadership’/’advisory’ roles • …once you get a group where their community is threatened by a wind farm, they know somebody who was involved, it’s a little bit like we know, ‘in the land of the blind one eye is king’ you, if somebody knows a little bit more than them is is an expert erm, and before you know it, you’re inundated with with requests from people, and because you, because you’re so aware of the, the horrors of all this, and it is a horror story for you know, no question about it, because you’re aware of all the horrors you can’t ignore a a a cry for help… (Pat, stakeholder against, NEW) • Entering into national politics • They [local action groups] don’t have, the time to get involved nationally but the national problem is the only problem, the only issue that’s going to really change all of this, the planning system unfortunately er, is such that there isn’t very much scope within the planning system, for the ordinary person to get involved erm, it’s pretty limited and incredibly undemocratic… (Pat, stakeholder against, NEW)

Regulating the Regulators? • Cost-benefit Analysis • Influence/powerlessness (David and Goliath?) • But at the end of the day we, I would contend that we got a negative decision from [place] Council, because of local pressure amongst, what I would contend would still be the minority of people opposed to the scheme. But without that backdrop erm, I’m pretty sure that […] would have been consented, so the private individual should not underestimate the power that they have. They may feel that they’re disenfranchised but, from our perspective it’s quite the reverse. • Educators (L.A.) • Local political spheres a ‘cabinet re-shuffle’ • I’m actually nay allowed to represent [place D] on [place] CC, although I did for 18 years, well not 18, 17 years, it wasn’t until last year, until the wind farm, erm, came up and er, more people were wanting to join and, and there was a, sort of re-organisation of the boundaries…so that was one of the worst things about NEW [laughs]. Got kicked off, the, er, well I nay got kicked off it, I was just moved to another area, but then, say, say it went to an election, which it may well do, because of this wind farm, I’ll be asking people in rural [place K&N], to vote for me, and they’ll say but he’s at [place D]… (Jake, stakeholder for, NEW).

Social Regulation Continued • Coercion • Yes and the landowners that we spoke to have said they don’t want the power lines going over their land. We actually got [landowner] to go, to not allow them a turning access onto her estate. We have got the family across the back road to not allow them permission to turn their Lorries onto part of their ground so that they can get into the Forestry Commission road. We have got the estate further down the valley here to refuse them permission to come over and [inaudible] to get into the grid connection – so all these major landowners have all come together with us and said no – we don’t want you. (Nathan, stakeholder against – protest group leader, Borders). • National political spheres • Advisors (national)

Rural Wind Farm F N A Modes of (Social) Regulation Modes of Formal Regulation

Tensions between Scottish National Policies for Onshore Wind Energy and Local Dissatisfaction – Insights from Regulation