May 14 2007
The planning system must be streamlined if vital projects to improve national infrastructure are not to be hobbled by lengthy appeals and inquiries, the CBI warned today.
Ahead of the Planning White Paper expected next week, the business group backed plans for the Government to set clear priorities in sectors like energy and transport that will end arguments at individual planning inquiries about whether there is a national “need” for a proposal.
The CBI said that the development of “statements of need” at a national level must be designed carefully to build-in full and open consultation. If the Government gets this wrong, the new “streamlined” planning system could be a backwards step prone to frequent and lengthy legal challenges, it warned.
John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director-General, said:
“The UK desperately needs new infrastructure to stay competitive, and to try to meet the huge challenges of energy, waste and transport. With over a fifth of the UK's generating capacity to be closed down in the next eight years, we are painting ourselves into a corner and have to start building new facilities.
“Full and open consultation is important on a crowded island, but the UK cannot afford delays of years that take projects back to square one. The recent Greenpeace challenge on nuclear power is a prime example of how getting consultation wrong can slow the whole process down.
“Investors need greater security and a streamlined planning process if they are to back major projects. Heathrow’s Terminal Five took seven tortured years from application to decision, and many other projects that could boost the economy are being delayed. We cannot keep waiting, or we will be left behind."