NSIP reforms and speeding up planning have been a core theme of the Government’s approach since taking office last year, with positive actions already taken in timely consenting decisions
This week, Government announced the latest proposals, which included amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to remove all statutory requirements in the Planning Act 2008 to consult.
And this is a welcome approach.
Over recent years, industry has called for the NSIP process to be simplified for the benefit of delivering vital national infrastructure more efficiently, cost effectively and with more certainty – for both communities and developers.
These changes will be the next logical step in streamlining planning.
In his ministerial statement setting out the scrapping of statutory consultation, the housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook made clear that “removing these statutory requirements does not signify that pre-submission consultation and high-quality engagement is no longer important.”
In fact, these proposals will no doubt make it more integral to ensure meaningful engagement is undertaken when developing proposals for major projects.
The Government has said that statutory guidance setting out strong expectations for consultation and engagement will be drafted and consulted on in the summer. Whilst streamlining the process is welcome, replacing statutory requirements with guidance could potentially make adequacy and acceptance more of a grey area.
It will be important that developers, communities and decision-makers continue to use consultation to build acceptability for proposals, particularly societal and political acceptability, not just planning acceptability.
The changes should release developers from some of the shackles of statutory consultation requirements and free up time and resource to be more innovative and agile in how engagement is undertaken.
As set out by the planning minister, “the DCO examination procedure rewards high-quality applications” and government will continue to expect a front-loaded approach involving “high-quality early, meaningful and constructive engagement and consultation” with communities and stakeholders to enable positive changes to proposals.
At Copper, we’ve been working with clients to successfully implement a more proportionate approach to non-statutory consultation, introducing a more targeted and meaningful method of involving key stakeholders and communities in pre-app planning. Our approach is all about driving our work towards data driven outcomes to show our engagement is making a difference, not just following a process.
These reforms are refreshing and welcome. Streamlining the planning process seems to have been an endless theme at NSIP conferences for years now, so this is certainly a positive next step.
We know that the road to net zero will not be without challenge. Removing barriers and encouraging speed will get us there quicker, but enabling positive change will continue to require communities and stakeholders to be at the heart of development.
What next?
The committee stage for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has now started and we understand the intention is to pass the Act before Christmas 2025, if not earlier.
Draft guidance is expected to be consulted on in the summer. We will wait in anticipation.
Much discourse will take place between now and then on what this all means for existing projects, new projects and what it will actually mean for achieving the goal of speeding up planning.
At Copper we’re working with industry partners to provide insight into how this impacts your projects. Watch this space for more updates.