Shrewsbury:
Supporting the Community
Our intention is to build positive relationships at the local level and enable communities to benefit from the work we do.
We pride ourselves on our Corporate Social Policy. We strive to be equitable and transparent with our stakeholders. Supporting the communities in which we work forms an integral part of this. Our intention is to build positive relationships at the local level and enable communities to benefit from the work we do.
Engagement
Different communities have different needs. We engage with each community at the early stage of development to understand their aspirations and concerns. This helps us tailor our support in accordance with the need and expectations of the communities.
We want to make sure that everyone understands our proposals and that we understand all the concerns that the community has.
We will undertake the following engagement steps:
- Leaflets will be distributed to households and businesses proximate to the proposed BESS development informing them of the public exhibition event.
- Engagement with key stakeholders will take place prior to the event.
- Our community event will be held on Wednesday 4th December 2024, at Uffington Village Hall, Church Road, Uffington, Girvan, Shrewsbury, SY4 4SQ.
- Feedback from the community event will be collated and reported in a Statement of Community Involvement which will accompany the planning application.
- Formal pre-application engagement based on the detailed layout and design for the site. This will include a village hall meeting to address any concerns or queries. To submit your comments, please email us at info@lower48energy.com. The closing date for community comments will be the 6th December 2024, any comments received after this will be logged but may not be reflected in the next steps of design development.
If the project is consented, we will work with the community during the construction phase to minimise disruption and ensure proposed benefits and support are put in place.
Support
Prioritising local supply chain
We will prioritise the local supply chain during the construction phase of the project. Contractors will be encouraged to invest jobs, time, resources, and money in the nearby communities. Should the project be consented we will undertake further engagement to ensure we support local supply chains wherever possible.
Technical Education and Employment Pathways
Within each project, we aim to create potential apprenticeship opportunities in fields such as electrical, mechanical, civil engineering, construction, and town planning. These roles will offer local young people hands-on work experience, with Lower 48 Energy, committed to providing support that helps launch their careers in the renewable energy sector. Through this initiative, we’re excited to foster talent and contribute to Shropshire's growing green energy workforce.
Community Benefit
Over the lifetime of the project, we are committed to investing into a Community Benefits Package that will include a Community Fund specifically for the development. We would seek to engage with the communities affected to establish the appropriate geographic area for benefits and the community priorities in order to provide a package that best delivers on the community's needs. We would seek to support the community in forming the appropriate structures to manage any ongoing benefits which could be used to deliver a wide range of initiatives for the communities.
We would index the fund with the net profits of the project so that we deliver transparency along the way.
