How Gateshead Residents Helped Shape the Council’s Energy Strategy

Executive Summary

In December 2024, 20 residents came together to help shape the future of energy in their communities.

Their tasks: to answer to questions:

• What kind of energy system do we want?
• How should any changes be made to work for residents?

The result was a clear vision and set of priority recommendations now at the heart of Gateshead Council’s Energy Strategy. The council has committed to a formal response to every recommendation, and has already acted on one, launching a ‘Green Room’ initiative offering practical advice for residents on improving energy efficiency in their homes.

Objectives

The aims of the project were to:

• Ensure residents shape the future energy system in their wards
• Reflect what residents value about their communities in energy decisions
• Integrate community-generated vision and recommendations into Gateshead Council’s wider Energy Strategy

Approach and Methodology

Engagement Methods.

Participants took part in a Citizen Visioning process. They explored how energy systems could evolve in a way that aligned with their values and local contexts. Across four in-person sessions, participants reflected on what they valued about their place, learning about energy systems, climate change and district heating, deve;oped and refined a long list of ideas, and produced a collective vision statement and set of priority recommendations. Council staff and climate experts were on hand throughout to answer questions and provide input on feasibility. All sessions were supported by independent facilitators. 

Inclusive Practice

Participants received £315 gift of thanks for participating in all sessions. Expenses such as travel and childcare were provided to remove financial barriers. Live translation was offered to participants (see challenges section). Sessions were designed to be inclusive, welcoming and cater to the needs of the 20 participants.

Innovations.

The design process involved a Key Actors session with people across the district who hold influence, resources, or ideas to drive energy changes in Gateshead. These key actors helped guide the design of the sessions and offered advice and suggestions to strengthen the recommendations. This session added credibility, created buy-in for the process, and helped ensure the recommendations would have wider take up. 

Key Outcomes

Community Reach

• 20 residents who reflected the diversity of the local population attended all four sessions

Climate Impact

• The council has already started acting on the recommendations, including crreating a ‘Green Room’ – a resource hub to support residents in making energy-saving improvements to their homes

Social Impact

• Participants left the process more confident and informed about the council’s local energy plans 
• Participants felt their voices were being taken seriously
  • ‘While the process format is guided, the contents are entirely the work of community members. I have a fundamental distrust of government, but this appears to be a genuine effort by Gateshead Council to gauge what residents and ordinary people want. This is a really important step in making truly democratic decisions that are by the people and for the people’.

Internal Impact

• The process generated enthusiasm within the council, with increased interest in the energy transition from the local ward teams and other council members 
• The council has committed to publishing a formal response to every resident recommendation including setting out reasons and alternative where a recommendation cannot be implemented, sharing progress updates with the participants, and publishing the final report on their website.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Challenges

• Scope tension as the residents wanted a broad discussion about their place and the council wanted specific feedback on the Heat Network
• Resource strain as the council teams were incredibly stretched. Staff time and availability was a challenge and will continue to impact the uptake of recommendations as resources are further constrained.
• Translation challenges as one participant required live translation which was hard to manage effectively in whole group conversations

In-Project Solutions

• We adapted the process so it began more broadly with discussions about place and narrowed down into energy-specific recommendations
• We held briefings, an internal impact session, and encouraged participation from key council staff to help build buy-in across departments
• Working with the same translator each session helped build trust and smoother ways of working to enable the participant to contribute more effectively

Communicating for impact

We are communicating about the process and its impact in a number of ways including: a short film that captures the process and participant interviews, a report detailing the recommendations and council’s response, direct progress updates with the participants to ensure accountability and continued trust. We are also considering how to launch the outcomes alongside new District Heat Network developments to link up work across the council.

Key Takeaways & Recommendations

Start where people are. Being with residents’ values and experiences then connect to net zero goals. It makes climate action feel relevant and empowering

Secure council-wide buy-in. Engage staff from across departments and hold internal briefings early. Don’t rely on one point of contact – shared ownership is vital

Plan for impact. Hold ‘impact meetings’ before and after the engagement to really focus on the impact of the engagement and how resident ideas can be translated into action across departments

Engage wider actors. Involving non-council partners increases the changes that recommendations can be taken forward

Ensure your engagement is accessible. The gift of thanks and upfront support with travel or childcare enabled residents who don’t normally engage in climate issues to attend and contribute.