Resources

NIPA Insights I

Effective National Infrastructure: Balancing Detail & Flexibility – Through Planning To Delivery

Tuesday, 6th June 2017

In September 2016 NIPA commissioned a team from the Bartlett School of Planning at University College London to undertake research into the extent and impact of the level of detail in the DCO process.

The research team, led by Professor Janice Morphet and Dr Ben Clifford, was asked to collate evidence and industry views about the level of detail required in assessment, application, examination and consent of NSIPs; versus the impacts of current practice on the quality of the process for all stakeholders, on the quality of decision-making, and on the quality and delivery of resultant schemes.

The team was also asked to identify practical recommendations to support a move towards an optimum balance between detail, flexibility, process, decision-making and project outcomes for the planning and authorisation of NSIPs.

This thorough and inclusive research project has now concluded. NIPA’s AGM on 5th June 2017 launched the findings, and endorsed the recommendations and programme for action intended to take this work further forward. The NIPA Project Team would like to thank all research participants, the Member Stakeholder Group, and the NIPA Council for their input to this work.

We hope that this extensive body of work will provide useful insights into the planning and delivery of NSIPs, and that the recommendations provide a useful basis on which to incrementally enhance the system and the quality of the infrastructure projects that it is seeking to deliver.

There is more to do – the recommendations provide a wide range of progressive proposals for enhancing the planning, authorisation and delivery of NSIPs, and we look forward to working with Government and other partners in helping to deliver this, to the benefit of the projects, stakeholders, and society.

NIPA’s summary of the research, together with two reports from the UCL, can be accessed in the ‘Downloads’ section below.

Downloads

NIPA Insights II

Launch of the second report into the role of flexibility in the effective delivery of National Infrastructure Projects, Wednesday 22nd May 2019.

At an interesting and engaging Annual General Meeting in the Chancery Lane offices of WSP last night, the second NIPA Insights II report into the role of flexibility in the effective delivery of better National Infrastructure Projects was launched.

Introducing the report, Keith Mitchell, NIPA Insights Project Lead, referred to the in-depth research into Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects now completed or under construction on which the report has been based, (undertaken by the Bartlett School of Planning, UCL), and the extensive engagement with NIPA members and stakeholders (promoters, statutory consultees, community representatives, MHCLG and PINS) which has informed the development of the final report and its recommendations. He also explained the key themes of the report, including:

The important role of consultation and engagement in building trust with stakeholders about deferred decision making processes, and the need for a rigorous and transparent process for embedding flexibility in the assessment, the consent, and establishing mutually beneficial arrangements for refining scheme design through the delivery of the project.

The report makes recommendations about both of these key aspects, and puts forward a proposal for a web-based flexibility toolkit to support participants in the DCO process to deliver better national infrastructure projects. This will form the centre piece of the next phase on NIPA’s work in this area.

In welcoming the report, NIPA Council Chairman, Steve Norris said that it should be an essential read for the senior management teams of both existing and new entrants into the DCO process, providing important information about how to optimise the planning, authorisation and delivery of national infrastructure projects, for the benefit both of the promoter and affected communities.

Dr Pauleen Lane, (Head of Professional Services for Infrastructure, Planning Inspectorate), who was guest speaker speaking at the AGM, welcomed the report and the opportunity given to the Inspectorate to engage in its preparation.

The report was commended to NIPA members and stakeholders, and a process of engagement is proposed to stimulate discussion about the recommendations, its underpinning research, and the future development of the toolkit.

Downloads

NIPA Insights III

I am very pleased to confirm following our recent Annual Conference that the main report, and also a supplementary report (case studies) on the outcome of NIPA’s latest research, NIPA Insights III, are now available below to download.

The reports are an excellent review of experience gained on the ground in implementing DCOs and the main report sets out some important recommendations that I am sure will be the focus of many discussions within the NIPA family, and elsewhere, over the coming months.

Hannah Hickman of the University of the West of England, who led on the research commissioned by NIPA, comments:

“Significant attention is often focussed on securing the consent for major infrastructure development as if this was the end point in the development process. Our research highlights the fundamental importance of understanding how the consenting phase can better anticipate and support delivery. A key recommendation is the need to ensure that reforms focusing on speed of obtaining consent do not inadvertently cause problems later for implementation”.

The Board considers that the report and the case studies make a timely, significant and valuable contribution to the ongoing considerations regarding the implementation of DCOs, hopes that you will enjoy reading them and will find them useful.

Downloads