Research shows fewer than one in five applications receive decisions within the government’s recommended timeframe.
The findings, produced by Conrad Energy, revealed just 18.4% of applications were decided within the government’s 16-month timeframe and set out under the Planning Act 2008.
To conduct the research, experts analysed 163 Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and found that, on average, projects were delayed by almost five months.
‘It is clear that the lengthy delays NSIPs face whilst waiting for a decision on planning applications are a huge obstacle to the plans to ‘get Britain building’ and unlock economic growth through investment in infrastructure,’ Philip Silk, development director at Conrad Energy, said. ‘The delays are particularly concerning for the energy transition with over half of NSIPs since 2010 linked to the energy sector.’
‘These significant delays will be impacting projects in a number of ways, chief amongst them financially,’ Silk continued.
‘The stark reality is that companies face costs running into the millions of pounds just to reach the point of submitting a planning application for an NSIP, with these costs likely to be added to significantly by delays in receiving a decision, including in fees for legal advice and incurred on extending land options.’
Of the projects examined, 88 related to generating stations such as solar and wind farms, power stations or electric lines. The delays are likely to affect progress towards the UK’s net zero targets, with the National Energy System Operator warning that achieving clean power by 2030 would require delivery ‘at the limit of what is feasible’.
The research highlighted that 18 projects were delayed by more than a year, and six waited over two years. The longest delay recorded by 1,242 days – almost three and a half years.
Silk added that recent government measures, including the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and changes to the grid connection system, were welcome.
‘Equally, however, this is not a problem that will be solved overnight…Close collaboration will be needed between the government and the industry to ‘get Britain building’ and that, in turn, requires a recognition of the financial risks that developers face,’ Silk added.
Akhmad Muzakir via UnSplash
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