During the summer and autumn of 2015, the Ecosystems Enhancement Programme (EEP) team met with close to 40 organisations to introduce the Programme. This targeted stakeholder engagement focussed on the national tier within key UK stakeholder bodies, including conservation and environmental interest groups. The dialogue was effective in raising awareness of Tidal Lagoon Power’s (TLP’s) proposed approach to biodiversity conservation, generating considerable interest and high-level feedback on the EEP that has been used, for example, to refine and validate a number of the EEP’s Strategic Objectives.
A second phase of external stakeholder engagement will take place throughout 2016 and 2017. This will include meeting with regional and local stakeholders and maintaining ongoing dialogue with those organisations where partnership-based nature conservation initiatives can be taken forward.
One of the EEP’s aims is to foster partnerships that could help identify, deliver and manage projects, where appropriate and possible. A clear area where this could successfully come into play is in regard to managing EEP wetland sites as nature reserves, including visitor amenities and heritage-centred initiatives. TLP firmly believe that partnership working with like-minded organisations to share resources and expertise will be the most effective way for the EEP to deliver definitive actions for biodiversity locally and globally.