Morning, Monday, 2nd February 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime, and its role within the Government’s wider planning and growth agenda. Areas for discussion include the direction of reform under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill - with the Government tabling further amendments aimed at supporting delivery of reservoirs, onshore wind and streamlining the wider approvals process - as well as assessing options for improving the efficiency and coordination of consent processes, and the balance between accelerating delivery and maintaining environmental and community safeguards.
Policy developments & direction
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to examine key issues in the context of wider developments in the Industrial Strategy, 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, and updates to the National Policy Statements and National Planning Policy Framework. Delegates will assess the way forward for streamlining the Development Consent Order process and implications - for scrutiny, accountability, and public confidence - of proposed ministerial powers in areas such as removing certain developments from the NSIP process, prescribing application and consultation requirements, updating NPSs by regulation, and adjusting the scope for legal challenge.
Further discussion is expected on proposed reform to judicial review, their potential effects on the efficiency of decision-making, and the approach to safeguarding environmental and community interests.
Innovation & investment
Sessions will also consider the Government’s proposal to extend the NSIP regime to include major commercial projects such as data centres, gigafactories and laboratories. Discussion is expected on what this could mean for investment decisions and the potential economic impact of innovation on growth - as well as for investor confidence that infrastructure projects led by developers, delivery bodies and government agencies will proceed predictably and transparently.
Planning & environmental issues
Implications for resources and capacity within local planning authorities and statutory consultees, and priorities for those working in planning and environmental services, will also be considered. Delegates will assess what will be needed to support engagement between developers, local authorities and affected communities at an early stage, and ensure that environmental impact assessment and developer accountability measures can effectively cope with rising case volumes and evolving processes.
Further planned sessions examine the integration of environmental policy within the infrastructure planning system, including the introduction of mandatory biodiversity net gain and the transition to Environmental Outcome Reports. Delegates will examine what will be required to deliver these commitments across major schemes, including operation of the proposed Nature Restoration Fund. Issues around coordination between national and local priorities with also be considered, including the relationship with freeports and investment zones, and how nationally significant projects can positively contribute to nature recovery, net zero targets and sustainable economic development.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy: implications of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, national frameworks, and infrastructure strategies - coordination across planning, energy, growth, and delivery objectives
- consenting process reform: effects of changes to Development Consent Orders - consequences for legal certainty and scrutiny effectiveness - impact on public trust
- ministerial discretion and judicial review: scope of proposed powers and legal routes for challenge - safeguards for environmental and community interests
- commercial development eligibility: expansion of the NSIP system - balance between investor interest and system capacity
- consultation and accountability: implications of changes to statutory duties and assessments - risks for early engagement and developer responsibility
- demands on local capacity: pressures on expertise and coordination - support for local authorities and statutory consultees
- BNG: readiness of planning authorities and developers - requirements for ecological data and offsetting tools - role of the Nature Restoration Fund
- wider delivery implications: alignment with local priorities - implications for skills, environmental aims, and investor expectations
