The IPC Gets Started
From 1 October 2009 the newly established Infrastructure Planning Commission has been formally open for business. It is now available to advise developers about major infrastructure schemes and expects to begin handling applications for projects from March 2010. The chairman of the IPC, Sir Michael Pitt, has said that it anticipates receiving applications for 50 schemes in its first 12 months and it expects the majority of them to be energy projects.
The first draft National Policy Statements will shortly be released for consultation and once approved will form the basis for decision making by the IPC. The new system has been estimated by the Government to be likely to save the UK up to £300 million annually in dealing with planning applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects. It is also intended to significantly reduce the amount of time taken to determine applications from anything up to seven years to less than one year.
The IPC has published its corporate plan revealing a budget of £6.7 million for its first year. It anticipates recouping most of this through charges although these have yet to be finalised.
