Having your say about a national infrastructure project
This guide is for individuals and organisations who want to have their say about a project.
National infrastructure projects are also called Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP). They are large developments which cross the threshold from a normal planning application because of the impact they may have. This can be developments like:
- offshore wind farms
- power stations and electric lines
- motorways and other major roads
- railways
- gas pipelines
The process for national infrastructure projects is to decide if a Development Consent Order (DCO) can be granted. A DCO is a legal document that allows a developer to build their proposed project. The developer submits an application for a proposed development to the Planning Inspectorate. A panel of independent inspectors examine the project and make a recommendation to the Secretary of State about if the project should go ahead.
As part of this process, anyone can have their say about the project and tell us why they think it should or should not go ahead.