Serious concerns about proposed reforms to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill have been voiced by Suffolk County Council (SCC).

The Government announced on Wednesday (April 23), amendments to the bill which involve plans to cut by a year, the delivery of clean energy projects, public transport links, and other Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).

One of the proposals is to remove the duty on project promoters to consult and engage with communities before a project is presented to the Planning Inspectorate. Further, the duty to have regard to any comments on voluntary consultations undertaken by a promoter is also proposed to be removed.

Instead, there will be statutory guidance for developers with an expectation that consultation and engagement will still take place, prior to submitting an application.

SCC says the move has potential for a significant impact on Suffolk’s communities who are at the forefront of many NSIPs including solar farms, offshore energy and nuclear.

Cllr Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for devolution, local government reform and NSIPs, said: “These proposals to remove the duty on energy developers to consult with councils and local communities, are staggeringly tone deaf.

“Our communities need more and better consultation – not less. If the Secretary of State wants more opposition from local people to his decarbonisation targets, this is precisely the way to do it.

“For countless NSIPs past and present in Suffolk, local communities are rarely given the consideration and respect they deserve.

“These proposed changes claim to recognise community voices, but I fail to see how removing consultation can help make residents feel more involved.

“The minister may claim that these reforms will stop communities ‘feeling fatigued and confused’ with technical documents. However, I suspect these feelings are likely to be replaced with ones of anger and being ignored.

“Project proposers for large scale solar farms and the like, will be rubbing their hands together knowing that they can bypass community engagement completely and go straight to submitting their application.

“Engagement and consultation takes time and costs money and given the amateurish approach we are already seeing from solar developers in the county it is highly unlikely that they will be willing to do this.

“Staggeringly, even if a developer chooses to undertake a voluntary consultation, the Government is also proposing removing the duty to listen to what has been said.

“To publish such a radical amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill just 24 hours before oral evidence was to be heard, has given no time for proper public scrutiny.

“It is an act of cowardice and only serves to further undermine public faith in the planning process.

“Our county is facing an energy project onslaught. I have previously described Suffolk’s NSIP landscape as the Wild West – these proposed reforms sadly just reinforce my view.”

SCC will submit written evidence to the bill committee outlining its concerns and opposition to the proposed changes.

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