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Infrastructure: Planning Permission

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 17 March 2025UIN 36338

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to improve transparency in the pre-application process for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook

Duties set out Chapter 2 to Part 5 of the Planning Act 2008 require applicants for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) to publicise their proposals and consult specific persons and bodies as part of the pre-application process before their application is submitted. Paragraph 006 of the pre-application guidance sets out the statutory requirements applicants need to comply with, which includes publishing their Statement of Community Consultation. The relevant guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/planning-act-2008-pre-application-stage-for-nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects.

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