New planning body promises transparency

The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), a new Bristol-based independent body set up under the Government’s 2008 Planning Act, hopes to make the process for nationally significant infrastructure projects faster, fairer and easier. It aims to cut the decision-making time on such applications down from an average 100 weeks to under a year.

However, in a bid to declare its inclusiveness and transparency it has published a list of anticipated projects that it expects to receive when it starts to officially take applications from March 1 2010.

The list includes two EDF nuclear power plants – Sizewell in Suffolk and Hinkley Point in Somerset – and five wind farms – Scottish Power Renewables' Dyfnant Forest at Ceredigion, RES' Llanllwni in Carmarthenshire and Blyth in Northumberland, and RWE's offshore wind farm 33 kilometres off the Lincolnshire coast and Brechfa in Carmarthenshire.

The IPC said it expected to receive between 40 and 50 planning applications in the first year, but contrary to reports, no planning applications will be fast tracked.

“The new process is heavily front-loaded, meaning that the onus is upon promoters to carry out extensive consultation and investigations into the environmental impact of projects before even submitting an application to the IPC," a spokesperson from the IPC told GreenWise.

Sir Michael Pitt, chair of the IPC, said: “The IPC will ensure that the public knows which projects are proposed for their areas as soon as these are confirmed to us. The projects we are highlighting [...] raise important issues for the nation and for local communities and we want the public to have confidence that their views will be heard. In every case there will be an opportunity for an open floor hearing as part of the IPC examination process.”

The new IPC process also aims to give clearer and better opportunities for communities, local authorities and objectors to get involved and the IPC will not allow applications to proceed if commissioners believe that the quality of public consultation has been unsatisfactory.

Sir Michael continued: “We expect many more proposals to follow in the near future, as promoters begin to undertake the extensive public consultation which they must carry out under the new regime, before they can submit applications to the IPC. I would urge all members of the public affected by a project in their area to find out more about the improved opportunities created through the new regime, for them to have their say.”