England’s Ministers have decided which types of major development will in the future be eligible for the development consent regime set up for nationally significant infrastructure projects, currently covering major energy, transport, waste, water and transport schemes, and which will now include areas ranging from manufacturing to hotel complexes.
Under this move football stadiums, car plants and exhibition centres are some of the developments that could be dealt with the regime established by the Planning Act 2008 and modified by the Localism Act 2011.
The Government has confirmed that the regime will be widened to include the following types of development:
· manufacturing and processing: e.g. car factories and food processing plants
· leisure, tourism, sports and recreation: e.g. sports stadiums, theme parks and hotel complexes
· offices and research and development centres
· warehousing, storage and distribution sites
· conference and exhibition centres
· projects involving the working of aggregates (i.e. sand and gravel) and industrial minerals.
The Government said that planning applications for new coal schemes should normally remain with the local mineral planning authority and has concluded that that should also be the norm for applications for planning permission for onshore oil or gas schemes, including future proposals for shale gas developments.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has promised draft regulations on the changes by October 2013.
Planning Minister Nick Boles said: ‘We are determined to help bring about new investment and jobs. Making sure businesses can have confidence in quicker and better planning decisions is an important part of that.’
Read the Department for Communities and Local Government news release at: LINK
Search Planning Portal: LINK
