Consultation on streamlining infrastructure planning

This consultation seeks views on changes to guidance, public sector services and secondary legislation to streamline infrastructure consenting for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).

This includes the following proposals that support the application process for development consent under the Planning Act 2008:

• new guidance about consultation and engagement following removal of statutory pre-application consultation requirements through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
• guidance and secondary legislation to support notification and publicity
• guidance to support the acceptance stage for applications
• the use of Initial Assessments of Principal Issues to focus examinations
• guidance for public bodies about their role in examinations
• changes to regulations related to the examination of applications including compulsory acquisition
• reforms and improvements to pre-application services provided by the Planning Inspectorate and the fast-track process
• supporting pre-application services through effective resourcing of statutory bodies

It also seeks views on the removal of statutory pre-application requirements for onshore wind projects under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 guidance.

These proposals relate to England, Wales and Scotland (to a limited extent) only.