Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects Forum 2023   |  1 - 2 March 2023 – London

Mar

01

Mar

02

Registration and refreshments
08:45  to  09:30
Chair’s welcome and opening remarks
09:30  to  09:40
Speaker:
Gideon Amos OBE. Managing Director. Amos Ellis Consulting.
Part 1: Support for major infrastructure and speed up the Planning Act 2008 regime
09:40  to  12:25
NSIP Reform Update
09:40  to  10:15
  • Plans for speeding up the NSIP process
  • Next steps and timelines for further reform
  • Update on the progress of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill  
Speakers:
Jenny Preece. Deputy Director, Planning – Infrastructure. Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Lee Rowley MP. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Local Government and Building Safety).
Planning Inspectorate update – the latest guidance and updates for making applications in 2023
10:15  to  10:40
  • Updates on speeding up the process
  • Latest advice and guidance for applications in 2023
  • What lessons can be learned from projects in 2022?
  • What projects are expected in the future 
Speaker:
Matthew Scriven. Joint Operations Lead for NSIP Reform. Planning Inspectorate.
Morning networking and refreshments
10:40  to  11:10
Panel discussion: Speeding up the NSIP process – how feasible is accelerating the process? What do new proposals mean for projects?
11:10  to  12:00
  • Do the plans to speed up the process give the ability for the system to respond and deliver the infrastructure required, at the speed it is needed?
  • Which parts of the process can be sped up?
  • How can we speed up the process and also meet environmental challenges?
  • How can digital and new innovation speed up the process?
  • How might attempts to speed up the process have a negative effect on the quality of the process? 
Speakers:
Stewart Patience. Development Consent Order (DCO) Programme Manager. National Highways.
Mike Gildersleeves. Assistant Director – Planning and Strategic Infrastructure. South & East Lincolnshire Council’s Partnership.
Nicky Hartley. Senior Technical Director. Arcadis.
Duncan Smart. Senior Planning & Environmental Policy Analyst. ScottishPower Renewables.
National Policy Statements – where are we now?
12:00  to  12:25
  • Which NPS’s are being updated and what is the timeline for these?
  • How are outdated NPS’s making the NSIP process difficult?
  • Are the proposed NPS changes going far enough? Should they go further?
  • Case making without up to date NPS – embedding case making into your project 
Speaker:
Julian Boswall. Partner. Burges Salmon.
Part 2: Successfully creating your application – environmental requirements and engagement with stakeholders
12:25  to  16:05
Changing environmental policy and requirements – what are the key considerations for projects?
12:25  to  12:50
  • Latest EIA requirements and the proposed introduction of Environmental Outcome Reports – what does this mean for current and future projects?
  • Attempts to streamline the process – including proportionality and the use of Digital EIA
  • Further proposed changes to environmental policy and how to be prepared 
Speaker:
Angus Walker. Partner. BDB Pitmans.
Networking Lunch
12:50  to  13:50
Practical ways of implementing biodiversity net gain for your project application
13:50  to  14:15
  • What are the changing requirements for biodiversity net gain?
  • What must be included in your project, and when?
  • How can biodiversity net gain practically be included in your application?
  • Lessons learned from recent major projects and how biodiversity net gain was included 
Speaker:
Martina Girvan. Technical Director. Arcadis.
Conducting impactful consultation - changing community expectations and ensuring you are engaging effectively
14:15  to  14:40
  • Engaging communities with projects in the current political climate - explaining national needs vs community impact 
  • Effectively communicating community benefits
  • Engagement with the community over the life time of the project
  • How to improve community outreach and response rates?
  • What methods are working best – in person vs virtual?
Speaker:
Douglas Johnson. Director, Advocacy. SEC Newgate.
Improving projects by embedding good design in the process
14:40  to  15:10
  • Policy needed to support design in infrastructure development
  • Importance of processes for good design
  • Design champions 
Speaker:
Alister Kratt. Director; Design Group Member. LDA Design; National Infrastructure Commission.
Afternoon networking and refreshments
15:10  to  15:40
Case study: Manston Airport
15:40  to  16:05
  • What difficulties were encountered during the project
  • How can lessons learned be passed on to future developments
Speaker:
Tony Freudmann. Director. RiverOak Strategic Partners.
Part 3: Preparing for future infrastructure in the UK and changes to the NSIP process
16:05  to  16:55
Panel discussion: Looking to the future – understanding the types of major infrastructure required and how to deliver projects at the speed needed
16:05  to  16:55
  • What types of infrastructure are needed? Does the current planning process support these?
  • New energy projects and how to plan for these – floating offshore wind, nuclear, solar, hydrogen
  • A rise in water infrastructure projects – battling  drought and improving infrastructure
  • Engaging the public with new types of infrastructure  
Speakers:
Chris Taylor. Head of Planning and Consents. Progressive Energy.
Colin Turnbull. Partner. DWD.
Karen Barclay. Head of Major Infrastructure – Planning & Stakeholder Engagement. Anglian Water.
Chair’s closing remarks
16:55  to  17:05
Close of day 1 and networking drinks (sponsored by Burges Salmon)
17:05  to  18:30

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