Rules of Engagement: doing what's required vs doing what's right

Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching, so the saying goes. 

With changes expected to The Planning Act 2008 around the requirements for engagement, this will be a useful mantra for energy and infrastructure leaders to keep in mind. 

Currently The Act states that developers must engage with communities and stakeholders, but upcoming changes look set to remove the statutory element of consultation. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing. The motivation behind the change is to streamline the process-heavy path to delivering major infrastructure and speed up the pace of development.  

BUT with the statutory requirement removed, does this mean that engagement will become less important? 

Absolutely not. In fact, at C3 Communications, we believe that engagement is even more important when you don’t HAVE to do it.  

The challenge

We need to shift thinking away from considering engagement as just one of many boxes to tick or hurdles to overcome (yes, we’re looking at you, Project Directors and other Senior Leaders working on major infrastructure 😉).  

So, there is an argument to be made that removing the statutory requirement removes the checklist mentality. But, there is a risk that the unintentional consequence of these changes is that projects actively choose to engage less (or not at all!) for reasons of schedule and cost. So, the challenge is to ensure projects continue to do the right thing in terms of engagement, even when it’s no longer a requirement, as this is the best way to maximise the potential of community and stakeholder acceptance.    

This is where the concept of a Social Licence to Operate comes in. Put simply, this means getting the buy-in from communities and local stakeholders. 

Without social licence, projects fail.

So, engagement with those who will be involved in, impacted by and, potentially, benefit from a development should be integral to the whole project lifecycle as strong relationships with communities and stakeholders are integral to long-term success. This means establishing and maintaining a regular rhythm of engagement, even when there is limited news to update on or when information is uncomfortable to share.  

STEP Fusion at West Burton 

One example of doing what’s right, not just what’s required, was the announcement of the STEP Fusion energy plant at West Burton in October 2022. 

As Head of Communications through this period, Saranne took a proactive decision to adopt a ‘scrappy but straight’ approach to engagement and communications with all stakeholders, to do much more than was needed to build trust from day one. 

This included online and in-person engagement throughout the siting process and, in the lead up to the announcement, open and honest conversations with key local and regional stakeholders to ensure there were no surprises on the day itself or in the months that followed. This approach enabled the project to land positively in the community, and this goodwill continues to be felt and built on, three years later. 

The only costs to the project of taking this approach was an investment in people’s time, some minimal material production, and a commitment from the CEO, to do it in the right way. 

This experience has been important in shaping our thinking and ways of working as a business, leading us to develop our ideas around Redefining Engagement.  

But don’t just take our word for it, Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), agrees in a recent article on the RTPI website: “For planning to thrive it must continue to be based on consent. Certainty in the planning process is ensured when communities are given sufficient opportunity to genuinely engage with, and shape proposals.  It is essential that promoters of much-needed infrastructure genuinely invest in meaningful community engagement at every stage of the process.”  

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