The importance of adopting a strategic approach to planning

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6. THE IMPORTANCE OF ADOPTING A STRATEGIC

APPROACH TO PLANNING

6.1 The benefits of integrated planning

An ineffective way of developing a plan or project, be it for energy transmission

infrastructures or for any other development activities, is to first design the plan or project for

its purpose and then, later on, to consider the wider environmental and other use

implications. This means that potential conflicts are taken into consideration at a relatively

late stage in the planning process, at a time when there are fewer options available.

When the design concept is already so far progressed, the environmental impact

assessment necessarily becomes an exercise in damage limitation and, even though all the

rules governing environmental impact assessments are followed thoroughly, there is no

guarantee of success. This type of approach to project design and planning can also lead to

long discussions with planning authorities, other interest groups and NGOs during the public

consultation phase which can, in turn, cause significant delays to the planning process and

incur additional costs.

Adopting an integrated and forward-thinking approach to energy transmission infrastructure

planning that considers both the energy transmission needs and the ecological needs

together at the outset and during the initial project or plan design has numerous important

advantages:

 It promotes a more interactive and transparent planning process and encourages early

and iterative dialogue, which can help to significantly reduce the overall time required for

the permitting procedure.

 If done correctly, strategic (spatial) planning can help to avoid or reduce the number of

potential site-specific conflicts at a later stage in the development process, when financial

and legal resources have been committed and there is less room for manoeuvre.

 This can in turn also provide developers with a more transparent and stable regulatory

environment and offer them greater certainty over the likely success of their permitting

application because environmental concerns were taken into account already during the

initial project concept.

 It can also be more cost effective in the long run. Were potential avoidance or mitigation

measures factored in already at an early design or planning stage they are likely to be

technically easier and cheaper to integrate;

 It can lead to the development of new, creative and innovative solutions and potential

win-win situations which are unlikely to have been explored under the more classic

sectoral approach to project planning.

 It can contribute to an improved public image of the project and the institutions

responsible.