Advice to Eneco
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- From
- Eneco
- Date advice given
- 16 February 2012
- Enquiry type
Clarification of indicative timeline for IPC part of process
Advice given
Formal submission of a DCO to the IPC triggers the Acceptance process and therefore in terms of identified timeframes by month, they are simultaneous rather than consecutive.
The Adequacy of Consultation Report informs consideration of whether an application is accepted for progression to Examination. Upon submission of a DCO, the Commission will write to the relevant authorities to invite them to submit their Adequacy of Consultation Reports. The Commission has 28 days to decide whether to accept an application therefore authorities are asked to make any adequacy of consultation representation within 14 days of receiving our letter. Again in terms of identified timeframes by month, this would be simultaneous with Submission and Acceptance.
IPC Advice Note 1 suggests that the deadline given for the submission of the LIR following the preliminary meeting is likely to be short. Therefore local authorities are strongly encouraged to use the pre-application period to start their own evaluation of the local impacts of the proposals. Local authorities should then begin to compile the LIR as soon as the application has been accepted formally by the Commission and they have been invited to submit an LIR.
Finally, the effects of the Localism Act will mean that IPC is no longer a decision-maker (in the event that the relevant NPS is designated). In terms of the timeline, it may be more realistic to provide for 6 months examination, 3 months for the Examining Authority to reach a recommendation to be given to the Secretary of State and 3 months for the Secretary of State to issue a decision.