The UK government is to review the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime which is used to consent large-scale renewable energy projects of 50MW and over.
Minister of State for Housing Christopher Pincher said in a letter to members of the National Infrastructure Planning Association (NIPA) that the “context in which the regime was established is changing constantly”.
Therefore, it is “important that the planning process responds to these challenges and is able to play its full role in driving our economic recovery, and progress towards net zero”, Pincher said.
He told the NIPA members that there would be a consultation on new measures next year and called on them, ahead of their annual conference next month, to encourage early discussion on the issue.
Pincher (pictured) said that by the Autumn of this year the government aims to provide a clear progress update on the reform programme and successes so far.
Formal consultation will take place in Spring 2022 on proposed measures for the NSIP regime ahead of planned introduction in September 2023.
In Autumn 2022, the government wants users of the regime to be clear about how it will be changing, and what is required of them, in good time to meet the ambition, the minister said in the letter.
Pincher said: “I would like to ask you to take the time to talk to each other and to government about how we can work together to do infrastructure better.
“We would like you to step outside of your professional and direct interests and look at the system as a whole and think about how we can make it work as effectively as possible from end to end.”