The Transport Committee today launches a new inquiry into the
Government’s proposals to revise the National Networks National
Policy Statement (NNNPS).
Secretaries of State for Transport use regulations contained in
the Statement when deciding planning applications for nationally
significant infrastructure projects for rail and road.
The current NNNPS was published
in 2015 and ministers are now looking to introduce a new
Statement that will take into account aspirations to achieve net
zero emissions by 2050.
The Government’s draft revised NNNPS was published on 14 March
and can be viewed here. Under
provisions of the Planning Act, the Committee is required to
produce a report on the draft Statement by 20 October 2023.
Projections of future demand for rail travel and road usage, both
for passengers and freight, are considered in the new
draft.
The cross-party Committee will also examine how the NNNPS could
support economic growth in different regions.
The draft revised NNNPS was published alongside a Habitats Regulation
Assessment and an Appraisal of Sustainability.
They are designed to help assess social, economic and
environmental effects of new regulations in the NNNPS, and
describe actions that could be taken to reduce those
effects.
Revising the NNNPS should also provide a greater degree of legal
certainty for the Government when making decisions on whether to
approve new infrastructure projects.
As well as providing a regulatory framework through which
Transport Secretaries can decide whether to approve or block new
planning applications, the NNNPS also acts as guidance that can
help applicants put forward plans that are likely to comply with
regulations and be granted planning consent.
Transport Committee Chair said:
“The NNNPS is hugely important to deciding the shape of our
country’s rail and road infrastructure for years to come, and
will have big implications for efforts to reach net zero and
connecting towns and cities. It will also be decisive when it
comes balancing the needs of local communities, industry and
ecosystems.
“We welcome moves to update the Statement. My Committee will now
take a nuanced and detailed look at the Government’s draft
Statement and mark its homework carefully.”
Terms of reference
The Committee welcomes written evidence that addresses the
following terms of reference by Monday 15 May 2023. Visit the Committee’s website to
submit evidence.
1. Whether and in what ways
the draft revised NNNPS is likely to be more effective than the
current version, and whether opportunities to further improve
have been missed;
2. How effectively the draft
revised NNNPS will allow the Government to deliver nationally
significant infrastructure projects while also allowing for
proper scrutiny of proposed projects;
3. How effectively the draft
revised NNNPS will prevent delays to obtaining Development
Consent Orders;
4. The validity of the draft
revised NNNPS’s Statement of Need for the development of National
Networks, including a) road and b) rail, including Strategic Rail
Freight Interchanges;
5. How effectively the draft
revised NNNPS supports the ambition to achieve Net Zero by
2050;
6. How effectively the draft
revised NNNPS supports levelling-up and growth;
7. The effectiveness of the
assessment framework that underpins the general policies and
considerations set out in Chapter Four of the draft revised
NNNPS;
8. How effectively the draft
revised NNNPS provides a framework for assessing the general
impacts of nationally significant infrastructure projects, as set
out in Chapter Five;
9. The robustness and
transparency of the Appraisal of Sustainability used to assess
the draft revised NNNPS;
10. The effectiveness of the Department for
Transport’s consultation on the draft revised NNNPS.
11. The effectiveness of the NNNPS in ensuring
alignment with local transport plans and local networks, and
taking into account the impact on communities where national
networks are located.
ENDS
Notes to editor
· Select committees undertake
scrutiny of draft National Policy Statements under the provisions
of the Planning Act 2008. The Committee will report its findings
by 20 October 2023.
· As part of its scrutiny of
the NNNPS, the Committee is likely to hold one oral evidence
session before producing a report.
· The Department for
Transport is running a separate consultation process on the draft
revised NNNPS which can be viewed here.
