Part of Copper’s latest series exploring what the July 2026 National Infrastructure Planning Guidance means in practice for developers, infrastructure providers, utilities, local authorities and project teams. If you missed our blog last week, you can read ‘Statutory consultation is dead. Long live engagement and consultation’ here.
The publication of the Government’s updated National Infrastructure Planning Guidance has understandably generated significant discussion across the infrastructure sector. Much of the attention has focused on the removal of statutory consultation requirements and the drive towards a faster, more focused Development Consent Order (DCO) process.
But for organisations delivering major projects, the more important question is:
What should we actually do differently?
Having reviewed the guidance in detail, one thing is already clear: this is not about doing less engagement. It is about being more strategic, more targeted and more disciplined in how projects identify issues, manage risks and engage stakeholders throughout project development.
To help cut through the detail, we’ve identified nine priority actions that organisations should consider now.
1. Review your engagement and consultation programmes
The new guidance changes the expectations around how engagement supports project development. Teams should identify which projects are affected by the new regime and assess whether existing engagement and consultation programmes remain fit for purpose under the revised guidance.
2. Refocus pre-application strategies
The emphasis is shifting from consultation-led programmes towards issue resolution and project refinement.
The strongest projects will use the pre-application period to identify concerns early, narrow areas of disagreement and build constructive relationships that support smoother examinations and better outcomes.
3. Put strategic communication at the heart of delivery
Strategic communication should be seen as a project enabler rather than a standalone activity.
Clear, consistent and timely communication can help build understanding, manage expectations and create stronger foundations for meaningful engagement throughout project development.
4. Align engagement activity with project risks
Not every issue presents the same level of risk.
Stakeholder mapping, engagement plans and communication strategies should focus on the issues and audiences most likely to influence project design, consenting and delivery. Resources should be directed where they can have the greatest impact.
5. Target meaningful participation
The new framework gives organisations greater flexibility, but that flexibility should be used to improve outcomes rather than simply reduce activity.
Communities, local authorities, statutory consultees and other stakeholders should be engaged on the issues they can genuinely influence, supported by clear feedback showing how their input has informed project development.
6. Engage local authorities early and collaboratively
The guidance places greater emphasis on earlier issue identification and more focused examinations.
Strong relationships with local authorities can help facilitate the preparation of Local Impact Reports, Statements of Common Ground and the effective resolution of key issues before they become barriers to progress.
7. Strengthen the evidence base for engagement decisions
Robust records of engagement activity, issues raised and project responses will remain essential.
Project teams should ensure they can clearly demonstrate how feedback has been considered and how engagement has influenced project development and decision-making.
8. Review application readiness through an engagement lens
Application documents, environmental assessments and supporting evidence should tell a coherent story.
Increasingly, developers will need to show not only what engagement activities were undertaken, but how stakeholder input helped shape the scheme, informed mitigation measures and addressed key concerns.
9. Plan resources for effective engagement
Meaningful engagement requires sufficient budget, programme time and specialist expertise.
Early conversations with local authorities and statutory consultees can also help address potential resource constraints before they become critical-path issues during the consenting process.
The bigger opportunity
The most important takeaway from the new guidance is that programme certainty will depend less on completing prescribed consultation activities and more on demonstrating that issues have been identified early, stakeholders have been engaged appropriately and risks have been actively managed.
The developers that gain the greatest benefit from the new regime are unlikely to be those that simply update their documents. They will be those that adapt their engagement, communication and project positioning strategies early, ensuring projects are better prepared, better aligned and better supported before entering the consent process.
Join our webinar
This blog is the second in a series examining the practical implications of the Planning and Infrastructure Act and the latest National Infrastructure Planning Guidance.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing further insights on engagement strategy, project communication, examination preparedness, regional alignment and the evolving expectations for nationally significant infrastructure projects.
To explore the changes in more detail, join our upcoming webinar:
Latest National Infrastructure Planning Guidance: What the Changes Mean for Your ProjectsWe’ll cover:
- The most significant changes in the new guidance.
- The opportunities and risks for project teams.
- Why engagement remains a strategic priority.
- How organisations can adapt their approaches to reduce consent risk.
- Practical actions you can take immediately.
Register your place today and ensure your projects are ready to benefit from the new planning environment, rather than simply react to it.