Government makes Planning Bill concessions

Michael Donnelly, PlanningResource, 24 June 2008

Clive Betts MP

Rebels were threatening to derail the bill in a Commons vote tomorrow afternoon over concerns that the ministerial veto over major projects would be handed over to the proposed IPC.

But ministers have this morning offered to review the role of the IPC after two years and could reintroduce ministerial involvement then.

Speaking to PlanningResource Clive Betts Betts MP, one of the leaders of the rebellion, said that he was now satisfied with the concessions offered.

He said:  "Probably the most important concession is that they have agreed that the nuclear planning statement and the airport planning statement will be site specific in other words the policy statement will decide where airports and nuclear power stations can be built, that won’t be a decision for the IPC, they will only be able to agree to developments at sites which have already been determined by the policy statement."

Betts has also secured a promise of greater oversight by Commons select committees of the work of the IPC.

"The chair and vice chair of the commission will be subject to pre-appointment scrutiny. Secondly the commission will be charged with a requirement to do regular reports to the select committee and thirdly where any select committee wants to consider a decision that’s been made on an application, they will have the right to request the attendance not just the chair of the commission but the particular commissioners who made the decision," he said.

In addition, the IPC will have to take account of a report by the local authority before a decision on a particular project is taken and there will also be new rights for individuals affected by compulsory purchase orders.

Betts said he was now prepared to back the bill if ministers put it on record the concessions offered.

In a statement the DCLG said: "These are sensible amendments that strengthen the new planning process while fully preserving the integrity and intensions of the Bill.  Everyone knows that the current planning system for major infrastructure projects is fundamentally broken and needs to change.  Decisions can take years, the public’s voice isn’t loud enough, and economic competitiveness suffers.

"The new system will mean that the Government will set out clear National Policy Statements on the transport, energy, water and waste needs of the country, which will be subject to statutory requirements for public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny. Inquiries will no longer have to do this in a piecemeal fashion - one case at a time. Better decisions will be made because the national direction will already set out in a clear framework.

"We need stronger, better, more expert assessments of these uniquely complex projects.  That’s why we are setting up a new Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) which will scrutinise individual applications to see if they meet the requirements of the National Policy Statements set out by ministers with Parliamentary scrutiny.

"Before accepting any application, the Commission will have to be satisfied that promoters have complied with their statutory duties to consult the local community on proposals."