Recommendation 10

There needs to be more coordination between the application processes for development consent and a grid connection, given that each is highly relevant to the other and both will be influenced by the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, and the Land Use Framework. It is essential that developers are not left stuck in a situation in which they cannot progress planning consent without more certainty in relation to the prospects of securing a grid connection and vice versa. • The Government and the National Energy System Operator (NESO) should review how the application processes for development consent and a grid connection will interact, to achieve greater coordination between them. (Recommendation, Paragraph 33)