Meet Dr Conor Patterson

Dr Conor Patterson
Chair, First Flight Wind Community Stakeholder Panel

What is your role in the Community Stakeholder Panel?
I’m the independent Chairman of the Community Stakeholder Panel. My role as I see it is to guide my fellow panel members in their discussions and deliberations, and to communicate as best I can their views and feed them back to First Flight Wind.
 

What is the Community Stakeholder Panel?
It is a panel of independent people, drawn from the community in Co. Down, and some from further afield in Co. Armagh and Co. Louth, but within the hinterland of this project where it’s impact will be felt most substantially. These are people who are representative of their communities who have skills and who can constructively critique this project as it moves forward, to work with the developers First Flight Wind. They have established technical groups to work alongside this Community Stakeholder Panel looking at the specifics of the marine environment and socio-economic impacts and tourism and so on.
 

What is your professional background?
I manage an enterprise agency which covers the Newry & Mourne region. I am involved in the Chamber of Commerce movement, particularly here in Newry, and I am a member of the Federation of Local Enterprise Agencies in Northern Ireland.
 

What do you see as the potential of this offshore wind project?
My interest is to see this project bring benefits to Northern Ireland. It will secure a substantial proportion of Northern Ireland’s energy needs and it will also bring significant employment and other business advantages to Co. Down and beyond.