Private politics in the garden of England: an atypical case of anti-wind farm contention

This article analyses an atypical case of anti-wind farm contention at Marden in south-east England. Anti-wind farm campaigns have typically sought to resist developments through planning institutions. Though focusing on planning, the Marden case successfully pursued a ‘private politics’ strategy, pressuring businesses (e.g. developer, investors and landowner) to withdraw their support and commitment. Drawing on 10 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, and extensive documentary analysis, this article describes and explains this atypical case. It argues that Marden’s private politics involved strategic framing that aligned with businesses’ claims to corporate social and environmental responsibility. Though directly persuading companies on these terms failed, when the campaign ‘went public’, economic actors withdrew support. Marden’s trajectory and outcome are explained via resources and context particular to the case, and the potential reputational damage associated with its framing strategy. The article ends by noting interesting relationships and parallels between private politics and state focused local contention.