NIC bemoans ‘stuttering’ delays to green infrastructure policy and planning

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has today (27 March) published its annual progress review of the UK Government’s efforts to deliver on major infrastructure projects. While the Commission welcomes the...


NIC bemoans ‘stuttering’ delays to green infrastructure policy and planning

The NIC calls for accelerated efforts on building energy efficiency and planning application speed ups

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has today (27 March) published its annual progress review of the UK Government’s efforts to deliver on major infrastructure projects.

While the Commission welcomes the £100bn funding ringfenced for economic infrastructure from 2022-23 to 2024-25, driving progress towards nationwide coverage of gigabit broadband by 2030 and continued growth in renewable electricity, it points out major issues with key green policies.

The report raises concerns that some major infrastructure objectives “stutter further just as the need for acceleration has heightened”. Namely, the NIC criticised the “negligible advances in improving the energy efficiency of UK homes, the installation of low carbon heating solutions or securing a sustainable balance of water supply and demand”.

The report notes that the Government is well off-track to deliver an ambition for at least 600,000 heat pumps to be installed each year by 2028, with only 55,000 fitted in 2021. Additionally, the Government expects 300,000 public (EV) charge points to be in place by 2030; but only 37,000 public charge points are currently installed, the NIC notes.

In response, the NIC is calling for fewer, but bigger policy interventions to provide certainty to relevant markets, while also delivering greater devolution of funding and decision-making to speed up projects.

The NIC’s chair Sir John Armitt said: “If the Commission saw 2021 as a year of slow progress in many areas, in 2022 movement has stuttered further just as the need for acceleration has heightened. There have been negligible advances in improving the energy efficiency of UK homes, the installation of low carbon heating solutions or securing a sustainable balance of water supply and demand

“But taking a strategic view on the recent pace of planning and delivery suggests a significant gap between long term ambition and current performance. To get back on track, we need a change of gear in infrastructure policy.”

Specifically, the report calls for a “significant increase in the pace of energy efficiency improvements in homes before 2025”, including tightening minimum standards in private rented sector homes. Barriers also need to be removed in the planning system, with the NIC recommending that a National Policy Statements on energy to accelerate the consenting process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects be introduced.

Speed up incoming

Earlier this year, the Government published a plan to speed up the planning and delivery process for large-scale infrastructure projects, including offshore wind farms, which can currently take around 12 years to develop.

The plan, called the Action Plan for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), applies to large projects relating to energy, transport, water, wastewater and waste. The Government has stated that it can enact the plan and speed up delivery while enhancing environmental standards rather than weakening them.

Between 2012 and 2021 there was a 65% increase in the time it took for projects to go through the NSIP process.

A consultation on the fast-track process will be held this spring. At the same time, the Government will work to identify suitable projects. The first projects are set to benefit under trials of the process from this September. Developers will need to complete enhanced pre-application requirements to take part.

Comments (1)

  1. Richard Phillips says:

    But then, how many of our leaders are well informed, let alone well learned, in scientific and technical matters.
    They have travelled different roads from scientists and engineers.
    In a nut shell!
    Perhaps more scientists and engineers should become politicians?!?
    Oh dear!

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe