Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Advice on the Preparation and Submission of Application Documents

The government has published guidance about national infrastructure planning which members of the public may also find helpful. See the National Infrastructure Planning Guidance Portal. The guidance should be read alongside the Planning Act 2008 (the Planning Act) and relevant secondary legislation.

This advice page is produced by the Planning Inspectorate. It is non-statutory. However, the Planning Inspectorate’s advice about running the infrastructure planning process is drawn from experience and good practice. Applicants and others are encouraged to follow our recommendations. Our advice is intended to complement the legislation and guidance issued by government.

The Planning Act and regulations 5, 6 and 7 of The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 (the APFP regulations) 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 guidance on the Pre-applicationthe pre-application stage explainsstage explains the steps applicants are encouraged to take when preparing an application and the requirements associated with the form and content of the application.

The Planning Inspectorate’s Pre-application Prospectus explains the three different pre-application services offered by the Planning Inspectorate to applicants and provides information about the related fees. Applicants should read the Pre-application Prospectus 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 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.

Content of applications

The application should be made in the form required by section 37 of the Planning Act, the application documents must comply with the requirements set out in section 37. The documents and information that must accompany an application for development consent are prescribed in the APFP regulations.

Regulation 5(2), (3) and (4) of the APFP regulations set out requirements for the provision of certain documents.

Government guidance on the pre-application stage published on the National Infrastructure Planning Guidance Portal provides further information on the content of applications.

Application acceptance checklist

The government’s guidance on the acceptance stage provides information about the process for the acceptance of an NSIP application, the acceptance tests under section 55 of the Planning Act, and the standard required for applications to be accepted to proceed to examination.

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 1.

Appendix 1: Application indexAcceptance of applications checklist

MS ExcelWord SpreadsheetDocument, 76.493.2 KB

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.

The application form and submitting the application

The application form for NSIPs is prescribed by legislation in schedule 2 of the APFP regulations.

Applicants must submit their application using the secure ‘Apply for and manage your infrastructure project’ site. The prescribed application form will be populated during the submission process and automatically added to the submission documents. See the Planning Inspectorate’s advice on how to submit an application for development consent for more information.

Guide to the application

Applicants should submit a guide to the application setting out all the documents and information included with the application submission including:

• document names
• reference numbers
• version numbers
• submission date
• relevant APFP regulation

The guide should follow the order of application information set out in Annex A.

The guide to the application is needed to support the checks carried out during acceptance, for providing references, and for the ordering of application documents and data to be published on our website.

Order of application information and file indexing

The order, indexing and filing of application documents and data is important to ensure large volumes of information can be easily found.

The ‘Apply for and manage your infrastructure project’ site provides categories for uploading documents. When uploading documents applicants will select the relevant document types for each category.

The site guides applicants through the questions on the prescribed application form and, where relevant, presents the previously uploaded documents to be selected as they relate to each question.

Annex A: Order of information submitted with NSIP applications provides more details about the categories and document types. Applicants should follow the structure in Annex A and contact the Planning Inspectorate’s case team at the earliest opportunity if they consider there is a need to depart from the structure

If a prescribed document is included within another document, applicants 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.

File names should accurately reflect the name of the document or data. To improve accessibility of the documents published on our 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. SeeAnnex A for document numbering.

If a printed copy of the application is needed, the paper application should be organised in the same way as the electronic 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 ‘Find a National Infrastructure Project website’.

Application documents and data should be 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 Planning Inspectorate, but they must tell us if AI has been used. See the Planning 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. This includes photographs of persons without their consent and signatures.

The Planning Inspectorate handles information in accordance with our privacy notice and follows the protocols set by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) on its website ico.org.uk. The Planning Inspectorate’s case team can provide further information on this matter on request.

Size of documents

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, guidance and advice. Duplicative and unnecessary content should be avoided.

Format

Application files must be in these formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, XLSM, MSG, JPG, JPEG, MPEG, MP3, MP4, MOV, PNG, TIF, TIFF, DBF, HTML, PRJ, SHP, SHX, or GIS

File names must only include:

• letters a to z
• numbers
• full stops
• spaces

Hyphens, commas or other special characters must not be used.

A single file must be smaller than 250MB. The total size of uploaded files must be smaller than 1GB.

Applicants should not submit video or audio information unless agreed beforehand with the Planning Inspectorate.

Application documents and data should:

• be paginated and include numbered paragraphs, tables and figures
• include numbered paragraphs within appendices
• contain a linked table of contents for documents of more than two pages
• have clearly labelled plans with title page information in the bottom right-hand corner
• include revision numbers in the title of the plan or document and on cover pages. A list of previous revisions to plans or documents must also be included
• have a glossary for each document
• use a minimum font size of 12 points and use a clear font such as Arial
• cite any references to documents relied upon, such as national policy statements or development plans, and include the relevant passages, policies, or sections.

Links to documents or evidence hosted on third-party websites, such as social media, cannot be accepted. The Examining Authority, the Secretary of State and others cannot rely on documents or evidence that is outside of the Planning Inspectorate’s control. This includes complying with our duties under data protection law.

However, links to trusted websites, such as government websites or chartered planning institutes hosting local and national policy documents, can be accepted. These links must include the full reference with access date.

The Examining Authority may ask for printed copies of some, or all, of the application documents or information before or during examination. The number of printed copies will depend on the project, the size of the Examining Authority, and the number of assessors or legal advisers involved where relevant. Documents should be printed on both sides of a page.

Referencing

Referencing for each plan or document should include:

• 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.

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.

Appendices

Appendices can help set out factual, technical and other material in an orderly way.

Appendices should:

• be clearly labelled and named on the front index page
• be fully referenced and indexed.

They may be separately bound for printed copies of documents if these are needed, which should include annotated section dividers to help parties find information quickly.

Relevance of the appendices should be explained in the main document.

Scale of plans and drawings

Plans and drawings should comply with the requirements set out in regulation 5 (and where applicable regulation 6) of the APFP regulations.

Plans and drawings should also:

• use a suitable scale for offshore development (to avoid several maps showing empty sea)
• ensure the proposed development is clearly identified and accurately represented
• have a readable resolution
• notate key dimensions and measurements such as those showing distances between proposed structures to the site boundary or heights of main buildings.

Linear schemes may require a set of drawings to show the full extent of the proposed development. Where sequenced drawings and sections are used, a key plan and sequence or section notation should be provided.

GIS shapefile

Applicants should provide the Planning Inspectorate with an up to date GIS shapefile of the land which is the subject of the NSIP application. A map of project boundaries is published on our website.

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:

• be a polygon geometry type and consist of one or more polygon features representing the proposed DCO site boundary, including any temporary, permanent and associated development
• be a single, valid, ESRI Shapefile for the proposed DCO site boundary, provided as a *.zip file using the default WinZip settings with no encryption and normal compression
• contain one of each of the following files *.prj, *.dbf, *.shp, *.shx
• not include any other files within the *.zip file
• be in the British National Grid (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.

The draft Development Consent Order

Applicants should read the government’s guidance on the Contents of a draft Development Consent Order and the Planning 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 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
• The PDF version of the SI validation report obtained from the link in the notification 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 EIA regulations) 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

All applications and supporting documents and data are published on our website. However, 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 our 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 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 advice on environmental matters about the information needed to support an NSIP application.

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 any engagement  or consultation (or both) 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.

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.

Fees

Pre-application fees

From October 2024, the Planning Inspectorate has been 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 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
• giving 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 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 Cost Recovery and the Planning Inspectorate’s Pre-application Prospectus 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 Guide for applicants on the Find a National Infrastructure Project website.

What happens next?

Following the submission of the application, the Planning Inspectorate will publish the application documents on the Find a National Infrastructure Project 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 copy 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 Find a National Infrastructure Project 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 Find a National Infrastructure Project website.

Annex A: Order of information submitted with NSIP applications 

Please refer to the requirements in regulation 5(2) of the APFP regulations, the government’s National Infrastructure Planning Guidance, the Planning Inspectorate’s advice collection and the Pre-application Prospectus for details. Applicants will need to decide which information is required by legislation to be part of the application, which information is relevant to their particular project and which information is optional for inclusion.   

Document Number	Category	Document type
Volume 1.0	Application form related information
1.1		Application cover Letter
1.2		Guide to the application
1.3		Pre-application programme document
1.4		Applicant’s completed section 51 advice log
1.5		Applicant’s section 55 checklist (Appendix 1)
1.6		Fast track admission document (Fast Track procedure only)
Volume 2.0	Plans and drawings
2.1		Location plans
2.2		Land plans
2.3		Works plan
2.4		Access and public rights of way plans
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 statutory and non-statutory sites or features (for example, nature conservation, habitats, marine conservation zones, water bodies)
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 order (TPO) and hedgerow plan
Volume 3.0	Draft development consent order (DCO)
3.1		Draft development consent order (DCO)
3.2		Explanatory memorandum
3.3		Statutory instrument (SI) validation report success email
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		Land and rights negotiations tracker
4.5		Environmental management plan (EMP)
Volume 5.0	Reports and statements
5.1		Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) screening report
5.2		Report to inform Appropriate Assessment (where relevant or required)
5.3		Statutory nuisance statement
5.4		Consents and licences required under other legislation
5.5		Planning statement
5.6		Design and access statement (DAS)
5.7		Policy compliance document
5.8		Potential main issues for the examination (PMIE) (supported by Principal areas of disagreement summary statements (PADSS))
5.9		Design approach document (DAD)
5.10		Safety assessment (where required)
5.11		National security issues (where required)
5.12		Details of associated development, with references to documents
5.13		Draft statement of common ground (SoCG) (if available at the acceptance stage)
5.14		Engagement summary document (optional)
5.15		Section 46 (Duty to notify) and s48 (Duty to publicise) information
Volume 6.0	Environmental statement	Please see our advice on environmental matters and any relevant technical advice pages for further information about the standard format and approach to environmental information and assessments
6.1	Volume 1	Environmental statement chapters
6.2	Volume 2	Environmental statement appendices
6.3	Volume 3	Environmental statement figures
		Non-technical summary
		Model information
		Any other media information
		Screening direction (if applicable)
		Scoping opinion (if applicable)
		Flood risk assessment (FRA)
		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
		Non offshore generating station: * Statement of responsibility for designing and building the connection
		Highway or railway development:  * Levels, depths, and heights of proposed works  * Cross sections  * Drainage outfall details
		Harbour facilities:  * Statements on why the DCO is necessary
		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
		Hazardous waste facility:  * Statement of purpose and annual capacity, final disposal, and recovery
		Dam or reservoir:  * Recreational amenities
	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.