From NIMBY to YIMBY

Public consultation underpins much of what emerges from the UK’s planning system.

At its core, it’s meant to make sure communities are part of the conversation, not just impacted by the outcome. However, it seems that a stance that more people are taking is ‘Not in My Back Yard’, also known as NIMBYism to those of us that are overly invested in the planning world (note BANANAs – Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone – as a fun alternative). Effective renewable energy consultation can be the difference between community resistance and long-term local support.

A community renewable energy project with a positive outcome

I have been involved in two large-scale rounds of public consultation, both of which have involved knocking on thousands of doors. For Astral Green, a renewable energy park which was granted consent in 2024, we knocked on well over 4,000 doors in the local area surrounding the site (see application). The results were resoundingly positive, with an overwhelming 89% of locals in favour of the scheme.

We had gone in expecting “I’m not against renewables but …” and instead people asked genuine questions and showed real interest in the proposals, they wanted to know how it works and how local people would benefit. People brought honest insight and curiosity, making the whole experience a real joy.

When infrastructure feels personal

I once heard someone talk about their local turbines as something that the community was proud of and that seeing them when travelling signified home to them. It stuck with me. When people feel like they’ve had a hand in shaping a project, especially one so visible, it becomes more than just infrastructure – it becomes part of the community.

Through good design and inclusive community engagement in renewable energy, you don’t just get a wind turbine, you get something that people are proud to point to.

Community engagement in renewable energy: A relationship, not a tick-box

Community engagement isn’t just a tick-box exercise. It’s an ongoing relationship rather than a one-off event. When done well (and started early), it builds trust, uncovers valuable local knowledge and helps to shape better schemes. People value honesty, clarity and the chance to actually be part of the process.

Starting early is the key to letting people get involved. But it’s important to remember that every community is different so your engagement strategy should be too. You need to be open to tailoring your methods; the most effective in some scenarios may be a town hall meeting and in others it may be through using digital platforms like Maptionnaire.

Honestly, more is more; the wider the engagement, the better the insights and the more people feel heard. Crucially, don’t just collect comments and let them collect dust. Show how you’ve responded, whether that’s through tweaks to the design or by facilitating wider discussion. The most important thing I’ve learnt is to give people credit, we go in expecting hostility but people might just surprise you.

Policy, perception and the need for better renewable energy consultation

Take Footnote 54 of the old NPPF, as an example. Originally, it required the development of onshore wind infrastructure to demonstrate full community backing. This was first amended to soften the requirements and was then ultimately removed with the December 2024 NPPF changes. But here’s the interesting bit – while everyone was up in arms about housing targets and Grey Belt, hardly anyone batted an eyelid about the onshore wind policy shift. Which further proves the point – people want to support these schemes and back policy changes that allow more community renewable energy projects.

People actually want in – not out

Basically, it turns out, people don’t hate wind turbines – they just hate being left out of the conversation. And honestly, fair enough. If the first time you hear about a project is when the consultation is nearly over, you’re bound to feel a bit disheartened.

We need to stop assuming that people are anti-renewables by default. Most people get it and are just tired of not being part of the conversation; they care about climate change, they worry about energy bills and they want to be part of the solution. The shift we’re seeing toward community ownership and benefit models, like Energy Local and Ripple Energy, is a big part of that story and is definitely one to watch going forward.

Written by Beth