Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Advice on the Preparation and Submission of Application Documents
This advice explains how application documents and supporting information should be prepared, organised, and submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).
Applies to England and Wales
The government has published guidance about national infrastructure planning guidance, which membersapplicants ofand theother publicparties mayshould alsoread. find helpful. See the National Infrastructure Planning Guidance Portal. The guidance should be read alongside the the Planning Act 2008 (the (the Planning Act) and relevant secondary legislation.Act).
This advice page is produced by the Planning Inspectorate. It is non-statutory. However, the Planning Inspectorate’s advice about running the infrastructure planning system and matters of process is drawn from experience and good practice.practice Applicantsand applicants and others areshould encouraged to follow our recommendations. OurIt advice is intended to complement the legislationlegislation, regulations and guidance issued by government.
The The Planning Act and and regulations 5, 6 and 7 of of The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 (the (the APFP regulations)Regulations 2009) set out requirements for the documents and information that must accompany an NSIP application.
Applicants should discuss with the Planning Inspectorate about how their application and supporting information should be prepared and submitted. The government’s statutory guidance on the Pre-applicationthe stage explainsPre-application stage explains the stepsrequirements applicantsand areexpectations encouragedin the preparation of an NSIP application. This includes the production of a Programme Document, which applicants need to takeintroduce whenat preparingthe anInception applicationMeeting with the Planning Inspectorate and explain how it will be developed and maintained throughout the requirementspre-application associatedstage. withThe applicant’s Programme Document sets out the formintended programme for the pre-application stage and contentwhat ofwork and studies are required for the preparation of an application.
The government’s guidance on the Pre-application stage and the Planning Inspectorate’s Inspectorate’s Pre-application Prospectus explains explains the three different pre-application services offered by the Planning Inspectorate to applicantsapplicants, andwith provides information about the related fees.fees Applicantsgiven shouldin readthe government’s guidance on Cost Recovery and in the Planning Inspectorate’s Pre-application Prospectus. Applicants should read these documents to understand the levels of service they can expect from the Planning Inspectorate on matters such as advice on draft documents, answering questions relating to potential examination issues and the readiness of an application to be submitted. The government’s guidance on Cost Recovery sets the framework for the Planning Inspectorate to charge for the services it provides.
Applicants should ensure their proposals are fully developed and consulted upon before submission. The ability to change a submitted application is limited and we cannot accept new information during the acceptance stage. Applicants must ensure that their NSIP applications meet all relevant legislation, policy, and guidance to be accepted for examination and to enable the Secretary of State to decide whether to grant development consent.
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Guide to the application
Applicantsindex shouldis submitincluded on a guideseparate totab thein application setting out all the documents and information included with the application submission including:spreadsheet.
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requiredaforapplications - numbers
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beanyunderreferences1,500towordsdocuments relied upon, such as national policy statements or development10%plans,ofand include the relevantoriginalpassages,document.policies,Theyorshouldsections. the name of the proposed development
a document or plan title
a unique plan or document reference number
the date the plan or document was produced
a chronological note of any revisions made to the plan or document including the revised plan or document number.
be clearly
paginatedlabelled and namedincludeonnumberedtheparagraphs,fronttablesindexandpagefigures- be
includefullynumberedreferencedparagraphsandwithinindexed.appendices They may be separately
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TheApplicants guide should follow the orderadvice of application information set out in Annex A.
The guidefor how to order the application documents. It is neededfor applicants to supportdecide thewhich checksinformation carriedis outrelevant duringand acceptance,what foris providingrequired references,by andlegislation. forWhilst the orderingstructure of the application documentsas andset dataout toin beAnnex publishedA onshould ourbe website.
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If a prescribed document is included within another document, applicantsplease should make it clear where this document can be found including the relevant reference, page, paragraph, and appendix numbers. Where plans are included in the Environmental Statement, for example designated site plans or heritage site plans, these should not be duplicated in Volume 2 of the application documents. However, the plans should be logically referenced and clearly signposted.
The application index should identify all documents and information submitted with the application. File names should accurately reflect the name of the document or data. To improve accessibility of the documents published on ourthe Find a National Infrastructure Project website all documents should be numbered methodically. Files should have document numbers at the start of the title which match the number of the corresponding volume. See Annex A for document numbering.
IfThe aapplication printedindex copyis ofneeded theto applicationsupport is needed, the paperchecks applicationcarried shouldout beduring organisedacceptance, infor theproviding samereferences, wayand asfor the electronicordering version.
Accessibility of application documents and data
Applicants need to comply with Section 56(6) of the Planning Act and regulation 8 of the APFP regulations and provide the application and supporting documents in a format that can be published on the the ‘FindFind a National Infrastructure Project website’.
Application documentswebsite. andIf dataa shouldprinted becopy fully accessible and conform with The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications (No.2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 accessibility standard and government accessibility requirements. For example: alternative text should be included for figures included within documents and the document title field should be populated when documents are created to assist screen reader users.
Use of artificial intelligence
Applicants may use artificial intelligence (AI) to help prepare information for the Planningapplication Inspectorate,is butneeded, they must tell us if AI has been used. See the Planningpaper Inspectorate’s guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Casework Evidence for more information.
Professional parties are responsible for ensuring their submissions are accurate and lawful. They must follow their own professional code of practice when using AI.
Copyright and intellectual property
Applicants must obtain permission to use all documents, plans, drawings, images and audio or visual content included in their submitted application. See our terms and conditions of use on our website.
Data protection and privacy
As application documents are published on our website, the inclusion of personal data of individuals should be avoided.organised This includes photographs of persons without their consent and signatures.
The Planning Inspectorate handles information in accordance with our privacy notice and follows the protocolssame setway byas the Informationelectronic Commissioners Office (ICO) on its website ico.org.uk. The Planning Inspectorate’s case team can provide further information on this matter on request.version.
Size of documents and summaries
The size and volume of application documents will vary depending on the type of document or data submitted and the complexity of the proposed development.
Applicants should think about the amount of information needed in their documents and data to comply with legislation, policy, case law,law guidance and advice.guidance. Duplicative and unnecessary content should be avoided.
Format
Application filesPlease mustsee bethe ingovernment’s theseguidance formats:on PDF,the DOC,Acceptance DOCX,stage PPT,for PPTX,information XLS,about XLSX,the XLSM,process MSG,for JPG,the JPEG,acceptance MPEG,of MP3,an MP4,NSIP MOV,application, PNG,the TIF,acceptance TIFF,tests DBF,under HTML,section PRJ,55 SHP,of SHX,the orPlanning GIS
FileAct, namesand mustthe onlystandard include:
Hyphens, commas or other special characters must not be used.
Aaccepted singleto fileproceed mustto be smaller than 250MB. The total size of uploaded files must be smaller than 1GB.examination.
ApplicantsDocuments should not submit video or audio information unless agreed beforehand with the Planning Inspectorate.
Application documents and data should:
Linksnot tointroduce documentsnew or evidencedifferent hostedinformation onto third-partythat websites,which suchis asincluded socialin media, cannot be accepted. The Examining Authority, the Secretarydocument of State and others cannot rely on documents or evidencedata thatbeing issummarised. outsideGood ofsummaries thecan Planninghelp Inspectorate’sexplain control.complex Thisinformation includes complying with our duties under data protection law.
However, links to trusteda websites,broad suchreadership as government websites or chartered planning institutes hosting local and nationalenable policyparties documents,to canlocate be accepted. These links must include the fullmost referencerelevant withcontent access date.easily.
The
Referencing Examining Authority may ask for printedplans, copiesdocuments ofand some,photographs
Regulation or5(2) all,and (3) of the applicationAPFP documentsRegulations or2009 informationset beforeout orrequirements duringfor examination.the Theprovision number of printedcertain copiesdocuments. willApplicants dependshould onrefer theto project, the sizerelevant subsection of theany Examiningapplicable Authority,regulations andfor the numbersubmission of assessorsrequired or legal advisers involved where relevant. Documents should be printed on both sides of a page.documents.
Referencing
Referencing for each plan or document should include:
Photographs should be labelled, annotated, and dated. Locations in photographs should be identified on a map or plan. The type of camera and lens used must also be provided. Photographs that can identify a person should not be used, unless that person has consented to their image being published. Images without the explicit consent of such persons will not be considered or published as part of an application.
AppendicesFormat
AppendicesApplication candocuments help set out factual, technical and otherdata material in an orderly way.
Appendices should:
Linearhave schemes may require a setglossary offor drawingseach todocument
use showa theminimum fullfont extentsize of the12 proposedpoints development. Where sequenced drawings and sectionsuse are used, a keyclear planfont andsuch sequenceas or section notation should be provided.Arial
GIS shapefile
Applicantscite shouldany providereferences theto Planningdocuments Inspectoraterelied withupon, ansuch upas tonational datepolicy GISstatements shapefileor ofdevelopment theplans, landand whichinclude is the subjectrelevant ofpassages, thepolicies, NSIPor application. A map of project boundaries is published on our website.sections.
TheDo GISnot shapefilesubmit shouldvideo beor emailedaudio toinformation theunless Planningagreed Inspectorate’sbeforehand mailboxwith for the project,Planning at least 10 working days before the application is submitted.Inspectorate.
TheLinks GISto shapefiledocuments should:
- be a polygon geometry type and consist of one or more
evidencepolygonhostedfeaturesonrepresentingthird-partythewebsites,proposedsuchDCOassitesocialboundary,media, cannotincluding any temporary, permanent and associated development - be a
accepted.single,Thevalid,ExaminingESRIAuthority,Shapefile for the proposedSecretaryDCOofsiteStateboundary,andprovidedothersascannotarely*.ziponfiledocumentsusingortheevidencedefaultthatWinZipissettingsoutsidewith no encryption and normal compression - contain one of each of the following
PlanningfilesInspectorate’s*.prj,control.*.dbf,This*.shp,includes*.shx - not
complyingincludewithanyourotherdutiesfilesunderwithindatatheprotection*.zip file - be in the British National Grid (OSGB1936) format.
MultipleHowever, *.ziplinks filesto ortrusted multiplewebsites, .shpsuch filesas withingovernment awebsites singleor zipchartered fileplanning areinstitutes nothosting compatiblelocal withand thenational Planningpolicy Inspectorate’sdocuments, GIScan system.be Ifaccepted. theThese proposedlinks DCOmust siteinclude boundary comprises several separate discrete polygons, these should all be included within the singlefull shapereference filewith containedaccess in the *.zip file.date.
The draft Development Consent Order
Applicants should read the government’s government’s guidance on the ContentsContent of a draft Development Consent OrderOrders and and the Planning Inspectorate’s Inspectorate’s advice on the drafting of Development Consent Orders. Development Consent Orders (DCOs) that include legislation provisions that apply, amend, or exclude other statutory provisions must be made in the form of a validated statutory instrument (SI).
Applicants need to request access to the online SI template and validation system from the the Legislation Publishing website.
Applicants should submit the following with their application information:
A PDF version of the draft DCO in the SI template
The email notification from https://publishing.legislation.gov.uk/validation confirming the document has successfully passed validation
validationThe PDF version of the SI validation report obtained from the link in the notification email.
email.A clean (all tracking removed) standalone MS Word version of the dDCO, with no header or cover page.
The Environmental Statement
Environmental Statements need to comply with regulation 14 of The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (the(The EIA regulations)Regulations 2017) but should be proportionate to the features of the proposed development and the sensitivity of the receiving environment.
These are often large documents and data made up of many chapters, tables, figures, annexes, and appendices. To help the processing of NSIP applications, applicants should read the Planning Inspectorate’s advice on environmental matters.
The Environmental Statement should:
- provide links in the contents page to the chapters, tables, figures, annexes, and appendices listed
- have chapters, tables, figures, annexes, and appendices named by subject matter
- be in a format that the Planning Inspectorate can copy and paste
- use cross-referencing to reduce the need for repetition in the statement, to achieve a proportionate presentation of issues.
The description of the proposed development should be the same in all documents.
Surveys and supporting data referenced in the Environmental Statement or Habitats Regulations Report should be appended or annexed to the relevant document or published on an accessible platform.
Sensitive environmental information
AllApplicants applicationsneed to comply with Section 56(6) of the Planning Act 2008 (PA2008) and regulation 8 of the Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 (APFP) and provide the application and supporting documents andin dataa areformat that can be published on ourthe website.‘Find However,a someNational Infrastructure Project website’.
Some environmentally sensitive information may need to be withheld and not published. Applicants should take a risk based and proportionate approach to identifying where disclosure of information could lead to environmental harm, for example survey and assessment data relating to the presence or specific location of species such as badgers, rare birds and plants.
Applicants should discuss the approach to, and justification for, withholding sensitive environmental information with the Planning Inspectorate during the pre-application stage.
Confidential information
The submission of confidential information is only expected in exceptional circumstances, for example information about matters of national security. Commercial or financial information should not be considered confidential and should be provided in a format that meets the requirements of legislation and can be published on ourthe website.‘Find a National Infrastructure Project website’.
Applicants should discuss the approach to, and justification for, withholding confidential information with the Planning Inspectorate during the pre-application stage.
Habitats Regulations Assessment
The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (the (the Habitats Regulations) require applicants to provide the Secretary of State with information for assessing the NSIP’s impact on a European site’s conservation objectives or to enable the authority to decide whether an appropriate assessment is needed.
Applicants should refer to the Planning Inspectorate’s Inspectorate’s advice on environmental matters about about the information needed to support an NSIP application.
DraftScale documentsof plans and drawings
AsPlans partand drawings should comply with the requirements set out in regulation 5 of ourthe standardAPFP tierRegulations and2009:
beenhancednotierlargerpre-applicationthanserviceA0offers,sizeshowapplicantsthecandirectionsubmitofdraftnorthincludeapplicationadocumentsscalebarbedrawnanPlanningidentifiedInspectoratescalenosmallerthan1:2500onshoreMoredevelopmentusedocumentsacansuitablebescalereviewedforasoffshorepartdevelopmentof(totheavoidenhancedseveralservice,mapsinshowingcomparisonemptytosea)ensurethe standardproposedservice.developmentWithinisourclearlybasicandtieraccuratelyservicedenotedhaveoffer,athereadableInspectorateresolutionnotatedoeskeynotdimensionsprovideandadvicemeasurementsonsuchdraftasapplicationthosedocuments.showingFeedbackdistancesonbetweendraftproposeddocumentsstructuresistotypicallytheprovidedsiteinboundarywriting,orfollowedheightsbyofmainbuildings.
Linear schemes may require a meetingset betweenof drawings to show the applicantfull andextent of the Planningproposed Inspectorate’sdevelopment. caseWhere teamsequenced todrawings discussand nextsections steps.are used, a key plan and sequence or section notation should be provided.
Appendices
AnyAppendices advicecan givenhelp willset out factual, technical and other material in an orderly way.
Appendices should:
be without
clearlyprejudicelabelledtoandnamedonfrontdecisionindexonpagebewhetherfullytoreferencedacceptandanindexed.
They applicationmay be separately bound for examinationprinted undercopies of documents if these are needed, which should include annotated section 55dividers ofto thehelp Planningparties Act.find information quickly.
ApplicantsRelevance shouldof alsothe shareappendices partsshould ofbe explained in the applicationmain documentationdocument.
Data protection and dataprivacy
As withapplication relevantdocuments localare authoritiespublished, andthe anyinclusion otherof partiespersonal withdata whomof anyindividuals engagement should orbe consultationavoided. (orThis both)includes isphotographs ongoing.of Thispersons willwithout enabletheir thoseconsent bodiesand tosignatures.
The engagePlanning Inspectorate handles information in accordance with our privacy notice and follows the applicantprotocols set by the Information Commissioners Office on draftits materialwebsite atico.org.uk. anThe appropriatePlanning time.Inspectorate’s case team can provide further information on this matter on request.
Copyright and intellectual property
Applicants shouldmust continueobtain discussionspermission withto theuse Planningall Inspectoratedocuments, toplans, ensuredrawings, thatimages theand applicationaudio informationor isvisual preparedcontent included in their submitted application. Please see our terms and presentedconditions effectively,of dependinguse on theour levelwebsite.
Use of serviceartificial procured.intelligence
Professional Thisparties willare responsible for ensuring their submissions are accurate and lawful. You may use artificial intelligence (AI) to help applicationsprepare information for the Planning Inspectorate, but you must tell us if AI has been used to becreate assessedor efficientlysignificantly andchange ensureany part of your submission. If you do not include as part of the submission a statement that you have used AI, the accessibilityExamining Authority can reject the submission. See the Planning Inspectorate’s guidance on the Use of informationArtificial Intelligence in Casework Evidence for more information.
If you belong to alla partiesprofessional isbody, optimised.you must also follow your professional code of practice when using AI.
Applications in Wales
In accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993, the Planning Inspectorate has a Welsh Language Scheme that has been approved by the Welsh Language Board.
For NSIPs in Wales, applicants should provide appropriate application documents in English and Welsh. Applicants should discuss with the relevant local authority which documents should be made available in Welsh. Providing translations of application documents where needed is the responsibility of the applicant.
Application acceptance checklist
The Planning Inspectorate has produced an ‘acceptance of applications checklist’ based on the criteria in section 55 of the Planning Act. The checklist is used to help the Planning Inspectorate decide if an application is of a satisfactory standard to be accepted for examination.
A copy of the checklist is provided at Appendix 2.
Applicants may find the checklist useful when preparing their applications for submission. However, completing this checklist is not a guarantee that the application will be accepted. The decision to accept an application is for the Planning Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, having had regard to relevant legislation and guidance.
GIS shapefile
To assist in reviewing the adequacy of pre-application consultation, including the identification of prescribed consultees, applicants should provide the Planning Inspectorate with a GIS shapefile of the land subject of the NSIP application.
The GIS shapefile should be emailed to the Planning Inspectorate’s mailbox for the project, at least 10 working days before the application is submitted.
The GIS shapefile should:
beapolygongeometrytypeandconsistofoneormorepolygonfeaturesrepresentingtheproposedDCOsiteboundary,includinganytemporary,permanentandassociateddevelopmentbeasingle,valid,ESRIShapefilefortheproposedDCOsiteboundary,providedasa*.zipfileusingthedefaultWinZipsettingswithnoencryptionandnormalcompressioncontainoneofeachofthefollowingfiles*.prj,*.dbf,*.shp,*.shxnotincludeanyotherfileswithinthe*.zipfilebeintheBritishNationalGrid(OSGB1936)format.
Multiple *.zip files or multiple .shp files within a single zip file are not compatible with the Planning Inspectorate’s GIS system. If the proposed DCO site boundary comprises several separate discrete polygons, these should all be included within the single shape file contained in the *.zip file.
Fees
Pre-application fees
From October 2024, the Planning Inspectorate haswill beenbe charging fees for its advice and services provided to applicants during the pre-application stage.
Section 4 of the Planning Act enables the Secretary of State to make regulations providing for the charging of fees by the Planning Inspectorate (acting on behalf of the Secretary of State). Regulation 2A and schedule 1 in The Infrastructure Planning (Fees) Regulations 2010 (as amended) set out the charging of fees for the provision of the Planning Inspectorate’s pre-application services that relate to:
giving advice to the applicant under section 51 of the Planning Act
the environmental impact assessment process under the EIA regulations
Regulations2017giving advice on matters relating to the timetable for examination and the preparation of applications in relation to Fast Track consenting
services provided to the applicant in relation to any matters which the Secretary of State considers to be important and relevant to its decision under section 104 (decisions in cases where national policy statement has effect) and section 105 (decisions in cases where no national policy statement has effect) of the Planning Act.
In addition, section 54A of the Planning Act (as amended) also enables certain prescribed public authorities to charge fees for certain services they provide in relation to NSIP applications and proposed applications.
Please read the government’s guidance on on Cost Recovery and and the Planning Inspectorate’s Inspectorate’s Pre-application Prospectus for for information about our chargeable services.
The Planning Inspectorate will not begin providing the agreed pre-application service, including preparation of a Scoping Opinion, until payment has cleared. Any outstanding pre-application fees charged by the Planning Inspectorate will need to be paid by the applicant before submission of their NSIP application.
Application fee
The fee to accompany the application must be paid when the NSIP application is submitted. The Planning Inspectorate does not raise an invoice for the application fee and will not consider the application until payment is received.
Pre-examination fee
If the application is accepted for examination, a pre-examination fee is charged. The Planning Inspectorate will issue an invoice setting out the terms and conditions for payment. The fee amount is set by the size of the panel appointed to examine the application.
If the applicant fails to pay this fee within the specified time, the Planning Inspectorate will take no further action on the application until payment is made.
Examination fee
The examination fee is split into two payments:
the first invoice is for half of the cost of the examination and is issued following the preliminary meeting
the second invoice is for the remaining balance of the examination fee and is issued shortly after the examination has closed.
If the applicant fails to pay the final payment within the specified time, this could have impacts on the application process.
Payment method
Payments of all applicable fees are to be made by electronic transfer. Payment should be made promptly by the payment due date provided on any invoice.
All fees associated with the Planning Act are charged in line with relevant legislation and guidance. A list of the fee charges is available in the the Guide for applicants on the Find a National Infrastructure Project website.
Draft documents
As part of our standard tier and enhanced tier pre-application service offers, applicants can submit draft application documents to the Planning Inspectorate for advice. More documents can be reviewed as part of the enhanced service, in comparison to the standard service. Within our basic tier service offer, the Inspectorate does not provide advice on draft application documents. Feedback on draft documents is typically provided in writing, followed by a meeting between the applicant and the Planning Inspectorate’s case team to discuss next steps.
Any advice given will be without prejudice to the formal decision on whether to accept an application for examination under section 55 of the Planning Act.
Applicants should also share parts of the application documentation and data with relevant local authorities and any other parties with whom consultation is ongoing. This will enable those bodies to engage with the applicant on draft material at an appropriate time.
Applicants should continue discussions with the Planning Inspectorate to ensure that the application information is prepared and presented effectively, depending on the level of service procured. This will help applications to be assessed efficiently and ensure that the accessibility of information to all parties is optimised.
What happens next?
Following the submission of the application, the Planning Inspectorate will publish the application documents on the the Find a National Infrastructure Project website website as soon as practicable.
The Planning Inspectorate has 28 days to decide whether to accept the application for examination. This timescale starts the day after the application has been submitted.
The applicant will be notified of the decision on whether the application has been accepted for examination. If the application is not accepted, reasons will be given.
Under section 56 of the Planning Act, applicants must notify each of the prescribed persons and bodies and publicise the accepted application. The application, including all supporting information, must be made available to these notified persons and bodies.
Additional publicity, consultation and certification is needed for accepted applications involving an environmental impact assessment. At least one copycopy, of the application, electronic or printed, should be made available at a location or locations in the area of the proposed development. It is for applicants to decide the number of printed copies it considers necessary to provide.
Contact us
If you need to discuss your application at any stage, please email the Planning Inspectorate’s case team. The case team email address can be found on the project page on the the Find a National Infrastructure Project website. website.
If you are unsure on who to contact at the Planning Inspectorate, you can contact us by the following options:
Contact form: Fill out our form
Email: NIEnquiries@planninginspectorate.gov.uk
Telephone: 0303 444 5000
Information about the Planning Inspectorate can be viewed on GOV.UK.
Further information about the NSIP process can be found on our our Find a National Infrastructure Project website. website.
Annex A: Order of information submitted with NSIP applications
Please refer to the requirements in regulation 5(2) of the APFP regulations,Regulations 2009, the government’s government’s National Infrastructure Planning Guidance, the the Planning Inspectorate’s Inspectorate’s advice collection and the and the Pre-application Prospectus for for details. Applicants will need to decide which information is required by legislation to be part of the application,application and which information is relevant to their particular project and which information is optional for inclusion. project.
| Document Number | Category | Document type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1.0 | Application form related information |
||
| 1.1 | Application cover | ||
| 1.2 |
Guide to the application |
||
| 1.3 |
Pre-application |
||
| 1.4 |
Applicant’s |
||
| 1.5 |
Applicant’s section 55 checklist (Appendix 1) |
||
| 1.6 |
Fast track |
||
| Volume 2.0 | Plans |
||
| 2.1 | Location plans | ||
| 2.2 | Land plans | ||
| 2.3 | Works plan | ||
| 2.4 | Access |
||
| 2.5 | Site layout plans | ||
| 2.6 | Elevation drawings | ||
| 2.7 | Floor plans | ||
| 2.8 | Car parking, landscaping, vehicular and pedestrian access | ||
| 2.9 | Drainage and, or surface water management | ||
| 2.10 | Other detailed plans and sections | ||
| 2.11 | Plans showing |
||
| 2.12 | Plans showing statutory or non-statutory historic or scheduled monument sites | ||
| 2.13 | Crown land plan | ||
| 2.14 | Charts for marine schemes | ||
| 2.15 | Tree preservation |
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| Volume 3.0 | Draft development consent order (DCO) |
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| 3.1 | Draft development |
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| 3.2 | Explanatory memorandum | ||
| 3.3 | Statutory instrument |
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| Volume 4.0 | Compulsory acquisition information | ||
| 4.1 | Statement of reasons | ||
| 4.2 | Funding statement | ||
| 4.3 | Book of reference (parts 1 to 5) | ||
| 4.4 | |||
| 4.5 |
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Environmental management plan (EMP) |
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| Volume 5.0 |
Reports and statements |
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| 5.1 |
Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) |
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| 5.2 |
Report to inform |
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| 5.3 |
Statutory nuisance |
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| 5.4 |
Consents and licences |
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| 5.5 |
Planning statement |
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| 5.6 |
Design and access |
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| 5.7 |
Policy compliance |
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| 5.8 |
Potential main |
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| 5.9 |
Design |
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| 5.10 |
Safety |
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| 5.11 |
National |
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| 5.12 |
Details |
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| 5.13 |
Draft |
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| 5.14 |
Engagement |
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| 5.15 |
Section |
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| Volume 6.0 | Environmental statement | Please see our advice |
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| 6.1 |
Volume 1 | Environmental |
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| 6.2 |
Volume 2 | Environmental |
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| 6.3 |
Volume 3 | Environmental |
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| Non-technical summary | |||
| Model information | |||
| Any other media information | |||
| Screening direction (if applicable) | |||
| Scoping opinion (if applicable) | |||
| Flood |
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| |
Model information | ||
| Any other media information | |||
| Volume 7.0 | Additional prescribed information for specific types of projects | Offshore generating station: * Details of proposed route for offshore cables * Safety zone statement |
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| Non offshore generating station: * Statement of responsibility for designing and building the connection |
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| Highway or railway development: * Levels, depths, and heights of proposed works * Cross sections * Drainage outfall details |
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| Harbour facilities: * Statements on why the DCO is necessary |
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| Pipelines: * Name and owner * Measurements of pipeline * What will be conveyed by the pipeline * Any grant of rights in land or consents that are required |
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| Hazardous waste facility: * Statement of purpose and annual capacity, final disposal, and recovery |
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| Dam or reservoir: * Recreational amenities |
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| Other documents | Any other document not listed above which the applicant chooses to support the application. These might be documents to meet the requirements of a National Policy Statement including for example a sustainability appraisal, health impact assessment, travel plan, code of construction practice, or carbon economy report. |
Updates to this page
-
Relevant advice pages have been updated on an initial basis to reflect some of the key changes to the Planning Act 2008 process introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. These initial updates include the removal of all references to the obsolete statutory requirement for applicants to carry out pre-application consultation. A further detailed review of the Planning Inspectorate’s advice page collection will commence from summer 2026. This review will inform future updates to the advice page collection to fully align content with the amended legal framework. All future updates will be notified here. Advice pages updated on 27 July 2026: Advice on the consultation report (withdrawn), Advice on the preparation and submission of application documents, Advice for local authorities Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: People and organisations involved in the process, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: The stages of the NSIP process and how you can have your say, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Advice on the process for rights of entry to land (under section 53 of the Planning Act 2008) (withdrawn), Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Pre-application advice on Environmental Impact Assessment (replacing Advice note 7: Environmental Impact Assessment: Process, preliminary environmental information and environmental statements and Advice note 9: Rochdale envelope, which are both withdrawn) and Advice on example documents
-
Preamble updated to remove reference to publication of advice page(s) under s51 of the Planning Act 2008.
-
New section: Use of artificial intelligence
-
Added translation
-
Updates to Appendix 1 and clarification about the submission of sensitive environmental information and confidential information
-
Process for submitting the application updated and new Appendix 1: Application index added
-
Various updates to clarify the order of application information.
-
Various updates to clarify the order of application information.
-
Appendix 3 (Application acceptance checklist) updated
-
First published.
Update history
2026-07-27 01:00
Relevant advice pages have been updated on an initial basis to reflect some of the key changes to the Planning Act 2008 process introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. These initial updates include the removal of all references to the obsolete statutory requirement for applicants to carry out pre-application consultation. A further detailed review of the Planning Inspectorate’s advice page collection will commence from summer 2026. This review will inform future updates to the advice page collection to fully align content with the amended legal framework. All future updates will be notified here.Advice pages updated on 27 July 2026:Advice on the consultation report (withdrawn), Advice on the preparation and submission of application documents, Advice for local authoritiesNationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: People and organisations involved in the process, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: The stages of the NSIP process and how you can have your say, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Advice on the process for rights of entry to land (under section 53 of the Planning Act 2008) (withdrawn), Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Pre-application advice on Environmental Impact Assessment (replacing Advice note 7: Environmental Impact Assessment: Process, preliminary environmental information and environmental statements and Advice note 9: Rochdale envelope, which are both withdrawn) and Advice on example documents
2026-07-14 12:30
Preamble updated to remove reference to publication of advice page(s) under s51 of the Planning Act 2008.
2026-03-02 13:17
New section: Use of artificial intelligence
2025-12-04 15:54
Added translation
2025-11-25 13:47
Updates to Appendix 1 and clarification about the submission of sensitive environmental information and confidential information
2025-07-09 07:08
Process for submitting the application updated and new Appendix 1: Application index added
2025-05-29 13:01
Various updates to clarify the order of application information.
2025-01-21 12:10
Various updates to clarify the order of application information.
2024-10-10 17:10
Appendix 3 (Application acceptance checklist) updated
2024-08-08 09:30
First published.