Registration and refreshments
08:45 to
09:30
Chair’s welcome and opening remarks
09:30 to
09:40
Speaker:
Tom Carpen.
Thames Water; Consents Lead.
Board Chair; NIPA.
Policy support for the development of major infrastructure – implications of the Planning and Infrastructure Act & next steps
09:40 to
10:10
- Planning and Infrastructure Act – what does this mean for projects?
- Timelines, next steps and the additional details needed for the implementation of reforms
- Are further reforms expected that will impact major infrastructure planning?
Speaker:
Suzie Willis.
Head of NSIP Strategy and Policy.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
NSIPs planning in 2026
10:10 to
10:40
- 2025 in review: what we learned
- The year ahead: 2026 and the direction of travel
- Practical advice for applicants right now
- What good applications have in common
- How the infrastructure decisions and applications service is evolving
Speaker:
David Price.
Head of Infrastructure Service.
Planning Inspectorate.
Morning networking and refreshments
10:40 to
11:10
Panel discussion: What is needed to improve & streamline the process – should the aim be speed or certainty?
11:10 to
12:00
- Do reforms go far enough? What else is needed?
- Will reforms reduce both pre-application times and time of overall process?
- Responding to the increase in questions during examination, and after - how can issues be identified, and resolved, earlier?
- What are the outcomes of the fast track approach? Has this option worked?
- Why do application sizes continue to increase? What is needed to make applicants less risk adverse and address proportionality?
Speakers:
Colin Turnbull.
Director.
DWD.
Mark Owen-Lloyd.
Director – Botley West Solar Farm.
Photovolt Development Partners.
Chris Taylor.
Head of Planning and Consents.
Progressive Energy.
Annamarie Compton.
Consents Director.
Infrastructure Matters.
Latest update on national policy statements and how to include project case in your application
12:00 to
12:30
- Recent changes and updates to NPS
- Requirements for NPS to be reviewed every 5 years – where are we in the process?
- Using NPS to demonstrate project need
Speaker:
Alex Minhinick.
Partner.
Burges Salmon.
Coordinating applications for a portfolio of multiple NSIPs – key considerations and applying lessons to individual projects
12:30 to
12:55
- Managing a number of projects all at different stages – from pre application to construction
- The importance of project management
- Lessons learnt and advice to future projects
- Communication and cumulative effects
Speaker:
Charlotte Mitchell.
Chief Planning Officer.
National Grid.
Networking Lunch
12:55 to
13:55
Environmental assessments for major infrastructure – what are the environmental considerations?
13:55 to
14:20
- Latest environmental policy – what are the current requirements?
- Will EOR be introduced?
- How can applications address proportionality? What is needed to make applications more accessible?
- Is the increasing amount of environmental information produced needed? How best to demonstrate assessments and impacts
- NSIPs and the introduction of Nature Restoration Fund and Environmental Development Plans
Speaker:
Andrew Fraser-Urquhart KC.
Barrister.
Francis Taylor Building.
Practically including biodiversity net gain in your application
14:20 to
14:45
- What does the formal introduction of mandatory biodiversity net gain requirements in May 2026 mean for projects?
- What are examples of practically delivering biodiversity net gain
- The scale of biodiversity net gain requirements for linear and offshore projects – is it proportionate and how can it be delivered?
Speaker:
Matthew Hanson.
Associate Director of Ecology and Biodiversity Net Gain Lead.
AECOM.
Removal of consultation statutory requirements - what will good consultation and engagement look like?
14:45 to
15:10
- What does removing statutory consultation requirements mean – what will an effective consultation strategy look like going forward?
- What will communities continue to expect from consultation and how to deliver this
- How and when to engage to resolve issues ahead of examination
Speaker:
Douglas Johnson.
Director – Planning and Engagement.
SEC Newgate.
Effectively managing and communicating community benefits
15:10 to
15:35
- Establishing community benefit funds – how will these be distributed
- Social value and major infrastructure development – embedding social value into project development
Speaker:
Katy Woodington.
Team Lead Community Investment (UK & Ireland).
RWE.
Afternoon networking and refreshments
15:35 to
16:05
Local authority involvement in nationally significant infrastructure planning
16:05 to
16:30
- Preparing for and managing the planning of NSIPs in the local area
- Resourcing for local authorities – how best to engage with local authorities?
Speaker:
Neil McBride.
Head of Planning.
Lincolnshire County Council.
Panel discussion: The future of NSIPs – how are the types and volume of projects entering the regime changing and how to prepare for this?
16:30 to
17:20
- What types of infrastructure are on the horizon – changes in energy infrastructure pipeline, preparing for increasing in water, and new forms of development (SMR, Data Centres, and hydrogen)
- Does the sector have the resources needed to deliver upcoming infrastructure – from an industry wide level to company resourcing
- Is the regime ready for new technologies and types of infrastructure - is the right level of specialist knowledge in place at all levels?
- The increase in project clusters – what will this mean for future information sharing?
- How is site selection and availability impacting projects coming forward
- A move towards spatial planning – what will this mean for future projects?
Speakers:
Rebecca Evans.
Head of Consents for Major Projects.
Cadent.
Karen Barclay.
DCO Development Director.
Anglian Water.
Anna Sutherland-Bamber.
DCO and Planning Director.
Iceni.
Chair’s closing remarks
17:20 to
17:30
Close of day 1 and networking drinks (Sponsored by Burges Salmon)
17:30 to
18:30