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- How are outdated NPS’s making the NSIP process difficult?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