Proposals have been published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities into operational reforms which the government is looking to make to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) consenting process.
The NSIP regime is used to consider and grant development consent orders for large-scale infrastructure projects such as offshore wind farms, transport links and waste facilities.
In Feburary 2023, the government published the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects Action Plan, committing to bring forward reforms to ensure the existing system can support our future infrastructure needs by making the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects consenting process better, faster, greener, fairer and more resilient by 2025.
The proposed reforms aim to 'streamline and simplify processes' for NSIPs, ensuring 'slow and burdensome planning processes' don't get in the way of infrastructure projects that are needed to create jobs and grow the economy.
Faster NSIPs consent would be delivered through:
Housing Secretary Michael Gove commented: “It is vital we can deliver the major infrastructure we need to regenerate our communities and level up. But local authorities and planners face barriers and red tape which have resulted in delays impacting on homeowners and housebuilders alike. That’s why we are bringing forward changes to accelerate the infrastructure we need.”
For more information, see:
