Abstract
This report presents a summary of a focused feedback workshop held on 5 December 2024 as part of the Closing the Loop: feasibility study to determine a feedback approach for post-consent monitoring to reduce consenting risk in future assessments project. The aim of the workshop was to gain high-level feedback from stakeholders about key issues identified in the work to date on the project relating to improving the use of post-consent monitoring data, and to discuss some of potential solutions developed through insights developed through findings from research so far.
To read this document quickly: focus on the executive summary, which briefly describes the key discussion points during the stakeholder workshop.
For an overview of stakeholder engagement in the project, read 1 Introduction
For an overview of the how the workshop was run, read 2 Focused group workshop – approach.
For key findings from the workshop, read sections 3.1 ( Discussion of feasibility of potential solutions) and 5 (Participatory discussion around the use of data from PCM within the development of SNCB guidance (Session 2)).
The main issues discussed during the focused feedback workshop included the following:
• Resourcing issues are a challenge under the current context, for actors across the industry (not just the public sector bodies), in terms of limited staffing resources. Specific challenges include having sufficient staffing and necessary expertise which directly impact the ability to overcome barriers and delays in the current context, as well as challenges for creating more robust management frameworks and infrastructures. Unless addressed, resourcing issues will continue to constrain progress, given the rapid increase in offshore wind renewable energy anticipated in light of the UK Government’s pledge to quadruple offshore wind by 2030 to 60GW. • Working together across the industry to implement data standards that are FAIR – findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable – to ensure data being gathered under existing and future post-consent monitoring requirements can be analysed using pooled or meta-analyses approaches.
• Working ‘smarter’ was considered an opportunity to create opportunities to achieve change that could benefit actors across the industry. Some examples included working to improve communications and transparency of information about how post-consent monitoring data and reporting are progressing through the consenting process, and engagement to support stakeholders in understanding the importance and value of uploading post-consent monitoring data in a timely manner.
• Potential solutions for Closing the Loop need to be resilient into the future, taking practical and technical factors into account (i.e. increasing levels of data being collected; integration of data from new technology) as well as contextual factors (likelihood of additional impacts on marine life, such as those caused by the increasing severity of storms etc).
• Applicability across all UK administrations, is also key, taking account of practical and resource limitations faced by smaller administrations. This is particularly relevant to areas such the transferability of evidence to new areas, species, and over time, which may be treated and interpreted differently across UK administrations which take varying approaches.
• The potential for adopting a strategic approach to post-consent monitoring was felt to offer substantial potential for addressing the challenges of understanding the impacts of offshore wind farms (OWFs) at a more comprehensive level. However, moving to a strategic approach would require large changes in several of areas such as process and policy, and this would need to work alongside post-construction data requirements on developments already operational or under development.
• The need for research outputs, including academic publications, to clearly indicate the underlying assumptions and limitations of research and data presented, and give a strong indication of the confidence placed in the results, to help stakeholders determine the transferability of evidence across different contexts.