Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects

What are NSIPs?

NSIPs are large scale development projects requiring permission under the Planning Act 2008. Consent is often granted in the form of a Development Consent Order (DCO). This process is managed by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the relevant Secretary of State.

Following a lengthy examination process, the Planning Inspectorate then makes a recommendation to the relevant Secretary of State. It is the Secretary of State who makes the final decision, guided by National Policy Statements.

For more information, including how to have your say, read the Planning Inspectorate's guidance: The stages of the NSIP process and how you can have your say.

Torridge District Council's Role

Torridge District Council will have an active role in shaping NSIP proposals which fall within Torridge as it has a defined role in the process. This is because the Planning Act places importance on the role of a 'host authority' throughout the Development Consent Order examination.

The responsibilities of a host authority are as follows:

• provide the applicant with a local perspective on the proposed project;
• if consent is granted, monitoring and take enforcement on the consented scheme;
• if consent is granted, discharge certain requirements (equivalent to discharging conditions of a planning permission).

The Government consider it is in the local authority's interests to:

• proactively engage with the applicant on their proposed scheme; and
• take part in all stages of the NSIP process.

Planning Team

The Planning Team will coordinate and work collaboratively across all service areas of the Council, as well as the relevant County Council, to ensure that the full impacts across Torridge are considered. Torridge District Council will primarily focus on the following potential impacts and benefits:

• Heritage
• Design and Landscape
• Amenity, Noise and Odour
• Highways and Construction
• Socio-economics (including education and economy)
• Ecology and Biodiversity

The team will  work to ensure that all possible benefits deriving from the project are explored and maximised. Any comments that the Council make must be considered by the Planning Inspectorate before a Development Consent Order can be issued.

After the Development Consent Order has been issued, we are responsible for monitoring how it is implemented by the developer.

Current NSIPs

The terrestrial (land based) aspects of the Xlinks project falls within Torridge District Council's administrative boundary, therefore, Torridge District Council is considered a statutory consultee and a joint 'host authority' with Devon County Council and North Devon Council, within the Development Consent Order process.

The project is for the construction of two converter stations west of the existing Alverdiscott 400 kV substation, with associated underground electricity cables to the Cornborough Range (Landfall), and offshore cable infrastructure within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), alongside additional works to facilitate the proposed development, such as highway alterations.

Xlinks submitted a DCO application to PINS on 21st November 2024, which was accepted by PINS on 19th December 2024.

The application documents can be viewed on the Planning Inspectorate's website.

To find out more about nationally significant infrastructure projects, including how to have your say, you can read the Planning Inspectorate's guidance: The stages of the NSIP process and how you can have your say.