Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 40
40
Accepted
Paragraph: 139
Require meaningful developer-led community engagement and develop best practice guidance for operators
Recommendation
The Government must also require meaningful developer-led community engagement at the outset of major electricity infrastructure projects. We recommend that Ministers also develop guidance for operators and local authorities on best practice in community engagement.
Government Response Summary
The government notes existing planning routes and the NSIP regime already require developer engagement. They further state that new guidance for the pre-application stage for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects was launched in April 2024, addressing the request for best practice guidance.
Paragraph Reference:
139
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
There are established routes in the planning system to consider the impacts of infrastructure projects and to enable communities to raise concerns about developments in their area. The National Planning Policy Framework, which underlies the planning system for these projects, encourages developers to engage with local communities pre-application. Local authorities will consider a range of factors when assessing applications, including visual and environmental impacts. Members of the public can submit their views to the planning authorities and significant concerns will be taken into account as part of the local decision-making process. For larger projects, planning decisions are made through the NSIP regime. The NSIP regime is a rigorous process designed to scrutinise larger projects. Developers taking projects through the NSIP regime must complete considerable community engagement before any application is made–giving communities ample opportunity to feed in their views. The level and quality of community engagement, amongst other factors, will be taken into account by decision-makers. In April 2024, the Government launched new and updated guidance on the ‘National Infrastructure Planning Guidance Portal’, the new digital repository for providing access to and updates on the status of existing and new National Infrastructure Planning Guidance. Updated guidance was published for the pre-application stage for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.