Challenge
To draft and produce bespoke key messaging and materials for each of the three rounds of pre-application consultation, and a final round of statutory consultation, for a floating offshore wind project with the potential to generate the annual power needs of 1.4 million UK homes. These materials had to:
- conform to Scottish Government good-practice guidance
- advertise and support in-person and remote stakeholder consultation events
- explain the development to a non-technical audience and win advocacy for the project.
Copper was also tasked with designing and hosting an interactive project website.
Approach
Copper devised a communications strategy that aimed to keep all stakeholders informed of the various stages of the development, to encourage (and analyse) their feedback and to support the project with further consultation materials as it moved closer to winning a Development Consent Order (DCO). Materials included:
- emails, newspaper adverts and posters notifying stakeholders of each consultation event
- pull-up banners, maps, and digital and print feedback forms
- 3D computerised model of the development to be viewed at in-person consultation events
- project leaflet and 55-page pre-application consultation report.
Value delivered
- The developer believes Copper’s work has positively influenced the proposed development, which has attracted little contentious feedback.
- Copper continues to support Buchan, by writing and designing a digital environmental impact assessment report and an interactive non-technical summary.
- Copper’s quality control team, all CIEP-accredited technical editors, ensured all documents were of high quality, consistent and error-free.
In the words of Debbie Olson, Onshore Consents Manager at Buchan Offshore Wind:
“I can’t speak highly enough of the value [Copper] bring to the development and consents process of a renewables project. Their development of key messaging and narratives – which are factual, transparent and written in plain English – is invaluable. … No ask is a problem for them. … They’re experts in their field, a trustworthy, safe pair of hands and would add significant value to any project.”