Understanding community acceptance of large-scale marine infrastructure projects.

Abstract

<p>In recent years there has been growing interest globally in energy transition from fossil fuel-based systems of production to renewable energy sources. However, experiences from offshore wind energy suggest that lack of local community acceptance associated with the siting of renewable energy infrastructure projects poses a significant challenge. In principle, there is public support for marine energy in the UK, with UK government funded research indicating 79% of public respondents in large-scale nationally representative surveys have expressed support (BEIS, 2020). However, opposition by local communities to large-scale infrastructure projects is likely to occur, possibly arising from the social, spatial and psychological impacts having to do with place attachment and displacement. Place attachment zeroes in on the ties that bind people and places together and give meaning to people’s lives and their identity. We have seen, through the coronavirus pandemic for example, the effects of relocalization, the connection people have to local places and the sense of identity that can come from those connections. On the other hand, displacement defines the ways in which place attachment can be threatened, changed and disrupted, and weakened by rapid extensive changes that people do not feel any sense of control over, and it usually leads to a sense of threat, uncertainty, anxiety and pushback. Although intangible, it is necessary to appreciate the connections people have with landscapes and seascapes and for such ties to be taken into account, in addition to environmental impacts, when assessing the roll out of marine energy infrastructure projects. This will secure community acceptance for rapid and extensive change and ensure an equitable transition. In this study, Morlais Tidal Demonstration Zone in Holy Island, Anglesey was used as a case study to examine the role of place attachment and displacement in shaping local community acceptance of large-scale marine energy infrastructure projects, the place attachment related factors involved and how these factors shape the development of such projects. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain qualitative primary data and a mixed-method approach was used to allow for triangulation with secondary quantitative data from various sources. This study also examines socio-environmental outcomes at various scales and their wider implications.</p>