Morning, Monday, 2nd February 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime, its alignment with the Government’s wider planning and growth agenda, and key issues for balancing speed of delivery with due scrutiny as NSIPs develop their role as growth enablers.
Reform, accountability & delivery
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to examine 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.
Sessions assess options for improving the efficiency and coordination of consent processes, and managing the balance between accelerating delivery and maintaining environmental and community safeguards.
Delegates will assess updates to the National Policy Statements and National Planning Policy Framework. They will look at the way forward for streamlining the Development Consent Order process, alongside implications for accountability and public confidence of proposed ministerial powers to remove certain developments from the NSIP regime, prescribe application and consultation requirements, update NPS regulation, and adjust the scope for legal challenge.
Further discussion will focus on proposed reform to judicial review, their potential impact on the efficiency of decision-making, and safeguarding environmental and community interests. Proposed reform to fast-track processes will also be considered, assessing the potential impact on uptake in the scheme.
Sessions will also examine next steps for reducing barriers to delivery, as well as priorities for secondary legislation and early considerations for a potential second planning Bill.
Coordination, roles, decision-making & scope
Priorities for NSIP policy in the context of the Industrial Strategy and 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy will be examined. Sessions look at alignment of infrastructure with national growth objectives, the role of NISTA, and new spatial planning powers for regional bodies - alongside considerations for funding models, the development pipeline and priorities for innovation, including the use of digital tools.
Coordination between national and local priorities will be discussed, including stakeholder calls for clearer coordination between central and regional delivery structures and improved pre-application processes. The relationship with freeports and investment zones will be examined, alongside practicalities for how NSIPs can positively contribute to nature recovery, net zero targets and sustainable economic development.
Delegates will also consider the Government’s proposal to extend the NSIP regime to include major commercial projects such as data centres, gigafactories and laboratories. This includes what it could mean for investment decisions and growth-driving sectors, as well as for investor confidence that infrastructure projects led by developers, delivery bodies and government agencies will proceed transparently. We also expect discussion on strategies for addressing the risk of system overload retaining sufficient community engagement and environmental oversight as the regime expands.
Planning & environmental issues
Implications for resources and capacity within local planning authorities and statutory consultees will also be considered, as well as priorities for those working in planning and environmental services.
Delegates will assess what will be needed to support engagement between developers, local authorities and affected communities at an early stage, and to ensure that environmental impact assessment and developer accountability measures can effectively handle rising case volumes and evolving processes.
Further 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. What will be required to deliver these commitments across major schemes will be discussed, including operation of the proposed Nature Restoration Fund.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Transport; Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Department of Health and Social Care; Department for Business and Trade; Government Legal Department; Climate Change Committee; Environment Agency; National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority; and the Welsh Government.
