First Flight Wind project team holds first meeting | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

First Flight Wind project team holds first meeting

The Community Stakeholder Panel, established to advise the First Flight Wind project team on its community consultation process, held its inaugural meeting this week at the Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency.

The Panel, chaired by Dr Conor Patterson, will provide independent advice on the scope of the consultation programme to ensure First Flight Wind carries it out effectively.

At the initial meeting, the Panel received a presentation from members of the First Flight Wind project team, discussed the Terms of Reference for the Panel and reviewed the draft findings of the first round of consultation held from November 2012 to January 2013.

The Panel membership has been selected in agreement with the Chairman to ensure that panelists are drawn from a range of backgrounds, across a geographic and political spread as well as on the basis of each panelist knowledge of the area, their experience with community interaction and other relevant expertise.

The Community Stakeholder Panel is not a technical forum for reviewing the project itself but will act in an advisory capacity with a focus on the delivery of the community stakeholder consultation programme.

Dr Conor Patterson is the Chief Executive of the Newry & Mourne Co-Operative and Enterprise Agency. Previously Chair of the Newry & Mourne Economic Forum, Conor is one of the co-ordinators of the Greater Newry Vision Partnership.

Speaking to Newry Times, Patterson said, “The proposed offshore wind project is a significant project and has already generated a lot of local interest and debate. This Panel will help to advise the project team on how best to conduct its local community engagement and consultation programme.

“This will ensure the community is kept appropriately informed, and has the right opportunities to contribute to the shape of the project as the plans develop. All of us are drawn from a variety of backgrounds so that, together as a panel, we can review the issues based on a thorough understanding of the South Down area.”

He added, “It is our intention to ensure the First Flight Wind project team create opportunities for the community to hear about the project as it progresses and subsequently listen to the views expressed.”

It is currently envisaged that the First Flight Wind Community Stakeholder Panel will meet three times per year.

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=28470

Posted by on Feb 17 2013. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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