White paper reveals infrastructure panel details

PlanningResource, 21 May 2007

The planning white paper, released today, set out how the new panel would decide applications for major transport, energy and nuclear waste schemes in an attempt to unify consent regimes.

The commission would have powers to annul or amend local and public legislation, and could authorise planning permissions and compulsory purchases.

Speaking in the House of Commons, communities secretary Ruth Kelly said: "The system for taking these decisions has grown up piecemeal over decades with complex, unwieldy and overlapping rules."

She said that policy statements would cover a period of 10-25 years, with five yearly assessments of whether to overhaul the guidance.

There would be formal consultation processes on the statements before they were adopted.

Planning applications would then be submitted to the commission, and applicants would be required to prepare applications to a minimum standard.

The proposed legislation would also allow legal challenges to the national statements, as well as individual decisions.

But Friends of the Earth planning coordinator Hugh Ellis said: "The government wants to force controversial developments such as airport-expansions and road-widening schemes through the planning system by limiting local involvement in the decision-making. You won't be able to object to a new a nuclear power plant in your community, but you may be consulted on what colour gate it has."

The planning white paper is available by clicking here.

Click here for the white paper's key points.