The UK’s new Infrastructure Planning Commission opened its doors to major infrastructure planning applications this week.
The first applications are anticipated from the energy and transport sectors including several wind farm proposals (Atlantic Array offshore wind farm – RWE npower, Irish Sea offshore wind farm – Centrica and Nant-y-Moch wind farm, Wales – Airtricity).
Expert IPC Commissioners will assess applications and decide whether to grant planning consent.
Plannning Minister John Healey said that the energy projects to be considered have the potential to provide up to £50bn (US $75 bn) worth of international investment and supply electricity to 22 million homes.
Healey said “The number of energy schemes waiting to be considered has grown to a potential 22GW of new electricity generating capacity, and many of the new projects will use renewable energy that is necessary for the transition to a low carbon economy and a greener future”.
The IPC is expected to cut the time taken to make decisions on large infrastructure projects from 7 years to 1 year. Under the old set up, the planning system often tied up applications for years in red tape. In some cases, it took ten years between a company’s decision to invest in a new project, and the delivery of energy to the national grid. It took more than six years to get a decision on North Yorkshire Power Line upgrade, and two and a half years to get a decision on Staythorpe C gas fire power station.
Healey said “The IPC will provide transparancy and predictability for investors, and better opportunities for local people to make their case at every stage of the application and decision making process, including the opportunity to speak at open-floor hearings”.
