In late 2009, the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) was established in the UK to fast track a previously laborious process for infrastructure planning applications. WindEnergyUpdate engaged with Stewart Willes, spokesperson on behalf of the IPC, to find out how wind developers will benefit from the new, streamlined process.

By Rikki Stancich in Paris

WindEnergyUpdate: Why did the government deem it necessary to establish a new regime for national infrastructure and where does the IPC fit into this new regime?

IPC spokesperson:  The Infrastructure Planning Commission was created under the Planning Act 2008 to ensure a more efficient, fairer process for deciding nationally significant infrastructure projects.

The IPC will consider applications and, where a National Policy Statement (NPS) has been formally designated by the Secretary of State, make the decision.

Where there is no designated NPS in place, the IPC will make recommendations to the relevant Secretary of State, who will then decide the proposed scheme.

WindEnergyUpdate: The new procedure will apparently halve the application processing time and reduce current costs associated with infrastructure applications by up to £300 million per annum. How will it achieve these kinds of savings?

IPC spokesperson: The Government's Regulatory Impact Assessment estimates that the overall benefits of the planning reforms could be on average £300 million per year. The IPC will help to achieve this by reducing the time taken to decide nationally significant infrastructure projects to just under a year.

We will achieve this by using an efficient procedure that emphasises written representations and follows a strict statutory timetable.

The new process also places a strong duty upon promoters to frontload their applications with a robust consultation process at pre-application stage.

The IPC will not accept any application submitted to it, if it finds that the consultation process or environmental impact assessment has been inadequate, or the application documentation is not complete.

WindEnergyUpdate: What is the estimated time line between an application submission and approval being granted by the Commission?

IPC spokesperson: Where the relevant NPS in place, proposed projects will be decided in just under a year. Where there is no NPS in place, the IPC will take just under a year to make a recommendation, and the Secretary of State will have a further three months to make their decision.

WindEnergyUpdate: What is your advice to wind energy developers submitting applications for UK projects?

IPC spokesperson:  The IPC recommends that promoters make contact with local authorities and the IPC at an early stage.

WindEnergyUpdate: Will the IPC be giving any preference to renewable energy project applications over other applications?

IPC spokesperson: The IPC will not give preferential treatment to any type of proposed project.  

The IPC is independent from Government and impartial towards all parties in a project.

It is up to the promoter to decide when they are ready to submit their project proposal. At the point that an application comes in, the IPC has up to 28 days to accept or reject that application.

If an application is accepted, it will progress through the examination stage under procedures in the Planning