Abstract
The recently adopted maritime spatial plan for Polish sea waters promotes offshore wind farm (OWF) development. The study’s identification of the local municipalities affected by offshore development was based on the plan’s provisions. Through the analysis of the plan and literature findings, both positive and negative impacts of future OWF development were identified and examined. Such an analysis seems to be a precondition for the more active engagement of local stakeholders in the debate on the ways in which to best utilize the new opportunities created by the plan and cope with the threats resulting from maritime spatial planning (MSP). The key impacts recognized by the local business stakeholders have been related to landscape pollution and fishing limitations. Stakeholders less frequently have noticed positive impacts of MSP such as development of a new form of tourism. Up to this point, small municipalities have not undertaken sufficient action, and there is a lack of communication between developers, marine planners and coastal communities. Planners have not assessed the impact of their plan on local economic development. The proposed remedies cover standard actions related to communication, education and dialogue, but in addition to that, a consolidated action of local municipalities on how to capitalize on OWF development has been proposed. The first step proposed is preparation of a joint strategy by coastal municipalities addressing this issue.
Highlights
Maritime spatial planning (MSP) is considered a relatively fresh territorial governance mechanism [1]
The proposed remedies cover standard actions related to communication, education and dialogue, but in addition to that, a consolidated action of local municipalities on how to capitalize on offshore wind farm (OWF) development has been proposed
The sea represents a new domain of spatial planning, and the ambition of MSP is to link the spatial development of sea and land [2]
Summary
Maritime spatial planning (MSP) is considered a relatively fresh territorial governance mechanism [1]. This paper aims at identifying the aforesaid MSP impacts (related to offshore energy) at a local scale and mapping the local business stakeholders’ perception of them (in Poland). It suggests and tests a structured approach for fulfilling these objectives. The stakeholders’ opinions and knowledge were juxtaposed with the experiences of other countries in which offshore wind farms are operating on a large scale All these factors served the aim of formulating conclusions on the necessary steps that would lead to local coastal communities in Poland being better prepared to more vigorously exploit the benefits of offshore wind farm development and mitigate or adapt to impacts that negatively affect the area’s welfare.
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