Consultation on a Draft Interim Policy for Community Benefit Contributions and Community Shared Ownership for Low Carbon Energy Projects in Oxfordshire

Help shape how renewable and clean energy projects benefit Oxfordshire communities

We are asking for your views on a proposed policy that will guide how communities benefit from private, for-profit, new renewable energy projects such as solar farms, wind turbines and battery storage.

Oxfordshire County Council, working with the district and city councils, is proposing a temporary policy. This policy would ask developers of new alternative energy projects to provide financial contributions and shared ownership opportunities that benefit local communities in Oxfordshire.

As Oxfordshire moves towards cleaner energy, it is important that local people and communities:

• Benefit from hosting clean energy projects in their area
• Have a say in how financial and other contributions are used
• Can take part in shared ownership opportunities

Your feedback will help us improve the policy before it is finalised.

Why we are consulting

Oxfordshire is expected to see further growth in renewable energy projects over the next few years.

These projects could bring millions of pounds in community benefits, but there is currently no consistent local approach approach to negotiating with developers and the possibility that some communities could miss out.

We are proposing an interim (temporary) policy to:

• Make expectations clear for developers and a more efficient process for them to engage with
• Ensure communities benefit in a fair and consistent way
• Support better working between developers, councils and communities

This will be in place until about 2030 to capture all the new renewable energy projects coming forward and then Government’s new national rules, if they come forward as expected from 2028, are likely to take over..

What the policy proposes

The policy encourages developers of large energy projects to:

• Provide regular, annual community benefit contributions to local communities hosting renewable energy projects. This funding can support a range of local priorities determined by the community.

• Offer shared ownership opportunities

Communities may be able to:

1. Invest in projects
2. Receive a share of profits
3. Reinvest benefits locally

How funding could be used

Funding could support a wide range of local priorities, for example:

• Improving community buildings and spaces
• Supporting nature and biodiversity
• Helping people reduce energy costs
• Community transport or
• Skills and training for green jobs

Local communities decide their priorities by developing a Community Action Plan.

Whether you have a lot or a little knowledge of this topic, your views are important.

Your voice matters

This is your opportunity to help decide:

• How communities benefit from private, for profit, renewable energy projects
• How fair and transparent the negotiating process should be
• Who needs to be involved in the decisions on Local and Strategic Funds

Even if you are not familiar with the energy system transformation and the details of this policy, your views are valuable.

The draft policy document is technical and detailed, so we recognise it may not be easy for everyone to fully understand; while a summary document is available to give an overview, you may still feel you don’t have enough information to answer all of the questions, so do skip those questions if so. However, your views are still important, so please do provide your feedback where you can.

How to respond

Please complete the online questionnaire.

• You can skip questions if you prefer
• All responses will be carefully reviewed

Your feedback will help shape the final policy.