Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government and
Building Safety (): Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
(NSIPs) spur growth, investment and regeneration throughout the
country and are vital to achieving our levelling up ambitions.
That is why I am pleased to publish a cross Government Action
Plan setting out reforms to the Nationally Significant
Infrastructure Projects regime that will seek to streamline and
speed up the consenting process.
The Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects process, which
operates predominantly in England and Wales, has served the UK
well for more than a decade. However, the demands on the system
are changing, and its speed has slowed. Government set out its
ambition in the National Infrastructure Strategy in 2020 to make
the infrastructure consenting process better, faster and greener
and these ambitions were reinforced in the British Energy
Security Strategy. Our action plan is informed by extensive
engagement with the sector which included a call for evidence on
the operational review of the system that sought feedback from a
wide range of stakeholders.
This Action Plan sets out the reforms that we will implement over
the coming months to ensure the system can support our future
infrastructure needs by;
- Setting a clear strategic direction through national policy
statements that are reviewed more regularly
- bringing forward operational reforms that support a more
streamlined consenting process and piloting a new fast track
consenting opportunity
- ensuring the system is better placed to meet our strategic
environmental goals and actively address the environmental
impacts of development
- recognising the important role local authorities play in
hosting and delivering new infrastructure as well strengthening
community engagement in the process
- and improving system wide capacity and capability by moving
to full cost recovery for key statutory consultees and the
Planning Inspectorate.
I want to see real benefits to the consenting process being
delivered as quickly as possible. Many of the measures set out in
the action plan are already underway, and I want to see the
benefit of the wider package of reforms come into effect as soon
as possible. Following the publication of this action plan, the
department will consult on some the key aspects of our reforms in
the Spring and bring forwards the key regulatory and guidance
changes needed to deliver the reforms soon after.
