Responding to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill achieving Royal Assent, Energy UK’s Chief Executive Dhara Vyas said:
“A modern, effective planning system has been long overdue. The Planning and Infrastructure Act will support the delivery of growth, jobs, and skills. It will also bolster Great Britain’s energy security, support efforts to tackle climate change, and delivery stable, affordable energy bills in the future.
“Energy UK supports the steps taken to ensure that this legislation will streamline the process for critical Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP), improve the approach taken to energy connections and introduce news powers for consumer and community benefits. These set the stage for further and ongoing work to rejuvenate our planning system, including new guidance for the pre-application process, and ensuring that communities benefit from energy infrastructure.
“The need for planning reform has been consistently highlighted as a key barrier to moving to a more modernised and flexible system, which will unlock economic opportunities up and down the country.
“There is of course more work to be done, including reforming the NSIP process to meet ambitious Government targets and ensuring that the introduction of Environmental Delivery Plans and the Nature Restoration Fund maintain high standards, so that we can deliver for both energy and nature.”
Note to Editors: For details on the how Energy UK members are delivering community benefits from local infrastructure, see our Energy In Action collection of case studies here