Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Deferred
Restructure transport National Policy Statements into an overarching framework with specific NPSs underneath.
Recommendation
The Government should consider the merits of restructuring future iterations of the National Policy Statements for transport so that there is an over-arching Transport NPS, with Road, Rail, Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges, Ports, and Airport NPSs sitting underneath it, and provide a clear rationale if it opts not to do so. (Paragraph 75) 28 Draft revised National Policy Statement for National Networks
Government Response Summary
The government has committed to undertaking a further review of NPSs and in particular whether there is a role for modular NPSs, which may shape the future of transport NPSs; the government's immediate focus remains on completing current NPS reviews already underway.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
As set out above, the government has committed to undertaking a further review of NPSs and in particular whether there is a role for modular NPSs. This may shape the future of transport NPSs. The government’s immediate focus remains on completing to designation the current NPS reviews already underway. We are currently completing the review of the NNNPS and are already reviewing the ports NPS. In September 2021 the government committed to reconsider review of the Airports NPS after the Jet Zero Strategy was finalised and we have more certainty about the longer-term impact of COVID-19 on aviation demand The Department does not consider it appropriate to produce a single overarching NPS for transport under the current guidance The modes covered within the NPSs are different in nature, from the nature of the applicant (market led vs public sector funded) to the impacts that they generate. The airports NPS for example is site specific and therefore requires a different level of detail on assessment and impacts compared to non-spatially specific NPSs. A single NPS would also introduce legal risk, where less controversial parts of an over-arching NPS may be affected by a legal challenge concerning other parts of the over- arching NPS.