Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 35
35
Accepted
Paragraph: 130
Develop a plan to ensure planning authorities are resourced for timely energy infrastructure applications.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government develop a plan to ensure that planning authorities, are sufficiently well resourced, in terms of personnel and expertise, to support the timely determination of planning applications for energy infrastructure and facilities. 48 Enabling sustainable electrification of the economy Ministers should expedite the delivery of a training programme designed to provide the necessary skills which will support well-considered and timely consideration of planning applications for electricity infrastructure.
Government Response Summary
The government has established the Innovation and Capacity Fund, appointed the Planning Advisory Service to create an NSIP network for local authorities, and freed up £9.1M for recruitment into planning roles to ensure sufficient resources and expertise for handling energy infrastructure planning applications.
Paragraph Reference:
130
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Local authorities play a key and vital role in the Development Consent Order process for energy projects of national significance. There is no specific funding for local authorities to engage with Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP), which can demand extensive consideration of local issues. The Government has responded to these concerns by establishing the Innovation and Capacity Fund. The fund provides an opportunity for local authorities to apply for funding up to £100,000 (or £350,000 for projects relating to transport) to support them in dealing with NSIP applications to address the issues and challenges they face as key users of the system. We have also appointed Planning Advisory Service to provide additional support through the creation of an NSIP network for local authorities who have to engage with an application for a major infrastructure project in their area. The PAS network has grown since its creation, now supporting 92 local authority officers representing 39 local authorities (March 2024). Through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects Action Plan, £9.1M has been freed up to recruit into the Planning Inspectorate, Local Planning Authorities and the Statutory Environment Bodies. Cost-recovery for services rendered as part of the DCO process by public bodies is being taken forward to ensure funding of planning services in public bodies is demand-driven. The Government are monitoring the implementation of cost recovery and the recruitment and retention of talent in public bodies.