1 Introduction
1. Significant infrastructure projects-such as new
nuclear power stations, airport terminals or motorways-are almost
invariably controversial. Planning processes can last for several
years and become the focus of wider debate, and sometimes protest,
about Government policy. One of the aims of the Planning Act 2008
was to speed up planning processes for nationally significant
infrastructure projects. Under the Act, the Government can publish
National Policy Statements to set out the policy against which
the Secretary of State will make decisions on applications for
development consent for such projects. The draft National Policy
Statement (NPS) on National Networks is the second to be published
by the Department for Transport (DfT) and covers nationally significant
road and rail projects in England.[1]
2. The Planning Act gives select committees a formal
role in the process by which NPSs are agreed.[2]
Our recommendations must be addressed by the Secretary of State
before the NPS comes into force.[3]
In addition, we are able to request a debate on the document before
it receives final parliamentary approval. We intend to do this.
3. On 7 January we published a call for evidence
on the draft NPS, supplementing the Government's own consultation
on the document. We asked for views on the following questions:
— Has the Government identified a compelling
need for development of the national road and rail networks and
of strategic rail freight interchanges?
— Does Government policy on the development
of the national road and rail networks, and the investment programme
relating to the road and rail networks, meet that need?
— Does policy on the development of the
networks take appropriate account of environmental, safety, sustainability
and accessibility issues as well as the impact of new technology?
— To what extent does the draft NPS provide
clear guidance to the Secretary of State about how to assess schemes?
Does it help scheme promoters understand the approach the Secretary
of State is likely to take to nationally significant road and
rail infrastructure projects?
— How does the draft NPS relate to other
aspects of the Government's transport strategy, including HS2,
and to integration with local transport networks?
4. We have published 41 written submissions and we
also heard oral evidence on 31 March from a range of business
interests, planning, environmental and expert groups, and from
Robert Goodwill MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at
the DfT. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to our inquiry.
5. The aim of the NPS is "to provide clarity
and certainty for scheme promoters and remove the need for lengthy
planning inquiry consideration of fundamental questions at the
application stage". In our next chapter we will assess whether
the draft NPS achieves this aim. Our third chapter will examine
some of the arguments about the policy underlying the NPS. Finally,
we summarise how the NPS should be changed before it comes into
force.
1 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/263046/executive-summary-consultation-document.pdf.
The previous NPS dealt with ports - see Transport Committee, Fifth Report,
Session 2009-10, The proposal for a National Policy Statement
on Ports, HC 217. Back
2
Section 9. Back
3
Section 5(4). Back
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