Conservatives spell out their national infrastructure planning reforms

The Conservative party has partly clarified its position on the new planning regime for nationally important infrastructure schemes if it wins the next election.

It has confirmed that projects would be determined by the relevant secretary of state rather than the new Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).

According to a statement from Charles Hendry MP, the party's shadow energy minister, the planning team from the IPC would be relocated as a "large projects team" inside the Planning Inspectorate and this would make recommendations to ministers. Ministerial decisions would have to be taken within a specific period.

Also planned by the Conservatives is a key change to the way National Policy Statements (NPS) are considered. They would be subject to a Parliamentary vote rather than just debate as at present.

Hendry said the moves would reduce the likelihood of legal challenges to decisions on schemes such as new power stations, power lines, reservoirs and gas storage facilities. He has promised further details and more clarification over transitional arrangements later in the year. These changes will need new primary legislation.

Hendry said: "The main concern arising from the current planning system is the inherent delay which has provided no certainty or guaranteed timeframe in which applications are decided. While we are wholly supportive of the principle of speeding up the process, we remain concerned that the IPC offers no recourse to the public to express their views given that decisions are made by an unelected quango. Consequently we believe decisions taken by that body will lack public legitimacy."

He added: "I hope this helps to clarify our approach to planning policy. We fully recognise the importance of a planning system which can make effective and timely decisions."

The Government recently announced that the IPC will be open for business from October and hearing cases early next year.

Planning minister John Healey said: "The IPC is critical to delivering a fairer, faster planning system that will enable us to cut the time taken to make decisions from up to seven years down to under a year. It will also give the public more opportunities for their opinions to be heard.

"The IPC will help us deliver a new generation of renewable energy infrastructure sources such as wind power to reduce our fossil fuel addiction and meet our ambitious zero-carbon goals. Reforming the system means many low carbon power sources will now get faster approval, and the country could save £300m a year."

 

Roger Milne

13 August 2009