Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Advice on the Preparation and Submission of Application Documents
This advice explains how application documents and supporting information should be prepared, organised, and submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).
Applies to England and Wales
The government has published national infrastructure planning guidance, which applicants and other parties should read. The guidance should be read alongside the Planning Act 2008 (the Planning Act).
This advice is non-statutory. However, the Planning Inspectorate’s advice about running the infrastructure planning system and matters of process is drawn from good practice and applicants and others should follow our recommendations. It is intended to complement the legislation, regulations and guidance issued by government and is produced under section 51 of the Planning Act.
The Planning Act and regulations 5, 6 and 7 of The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 (the APFP Regulations 2009) 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 statutory guidance on the Pre-application stage explains the requirements and expectations in the preparation of an NSIP application. This includes the production of a Programme Document, which applicants need to introduce at the Inception Meeting with the Planning Inspectorate and explain how it will be developed and maintained throughout the pre-application stage. The applicant’s Programme Document sets out the intended programme for the pre-application stage and what work and studies are required for the preparation of an application.
The government’s guidance on the Pre-application stage and the Planning Inspectorate’s Pre-application Prospectus explains the three different pre-application services offered by the Planning Inspectorate to applicants, with information about the related fees given in the government’s guidance on Cost Recovery and in the Planning Inspectorate’s Pre-application Prospectus. Applicants should read these documents 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.
Applicants should ensure their proposals are fully developed and consulted upon 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.
The application form
The application form for NSIPs is prescribed by legislation and must be used by applicants (see schedule 2 of the APFP Regulations 2009).
Please see the government’s guidance on the application form about how to make an application for development consent.
A link to the form and further information is given in the Planning Inspectorate’s advice on how to submit an application for development consent.
Government guidance on the Pre-application stage and on the Content of a Development Consent Order published on the National Infrastructure Planning Guidance Portal also provide information on the content of applications.
Submitting the application
Government services are digital by default, and we ask applicants and others to submit documents, data and other information electronically to us where possible.
Applicants should submit their NSIP applications electronically to the Planning Inspectorate using a file transfer website. Applicants should email a link to the Planning Inspectorate’s mailbox for the project to enable us to access the application electronic files. Please contact the Planning Inspectorate’s case team if you intend to apply by another method.
Applicants should test the arrangements for submitting the application information with the Planning Inspectorate’s case team before the application is submitted.
Completed applications should be sent to the Planning Inspectorate between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday except for UK public holidays. Applications received after 5pm will be processed the next working day.
Applications should be submitted in line with this advice, to ensure consistency and compatibility with the Planning Inspectorate’s digital systems.
The Examining Authority may ask for printed copies of some, or all, of the application information before or during examination. The number of printed copies of information needed will depend on the project, the size of the Examining Authority, and the number of assessors or legal advisers involved where relevant.
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.
Applicants should follow the advice in Annex A for how to order the application documents.
There is also an acceptance application index that applicants should use (Appendix 1). Additionally, Appendix 2 sets out information about how to prepare the application index to accompany an NSIP application.
The Planning Inspectorate is developing further standards on the format and presentation of information to be applied in certain application documents. Templates for certain documents and data are being drafted and technical advice is being prepared for specific development types, setting out naming and referencing conventions for submission documents, definitions, structure and DCO clauses and requirements relevant to that type.
If a prescribed document is included within another document, please make clear where this document can be found including the relevant reference, page, paragraph, and, or appendix numbers.
The application index should identify all documents and information submitted with the application and provide a plain English description of the information contained in each document. File names should accurately reflect the name of the document or data. In the index in column E ‘file name’, the data entered in this column must be identical to the name of the file.
The application index 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 the Find a National Infrastructure Project website. If a printed copy of the application is needed, the paper application should be organised in the same way as the electronic version.
Size of documents and summaries
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 and guidance. Duplicative and unnecessary content should be avoided. Please see the government’s guidance on the Acceptance stage for 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.
Documents or data of more than 1,500 words should include a summary of the main issues and direct readers to the evidence on which it is based (see regulation 14(3) of The Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010). Summaries should be under 1,500 words or 10% of the original document. They should not introduce new or different information to that which is included in the document or data being summarised. Good summaries can help explain complex information to a broad readership and enable parties to locate the most relevant content easily.
Referencing for plans, documents and photographs
Regulation 5(2) and (3) of the APFP Regulations 2009 set out requirements for the provision of certain documents. Applicants should refer to the relevant subsection of any applicable regulations for the submission of required documents.
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.
Format
Application documents and data should:
- be paginated and include numbered paragraphs, tables and figures
- include numbered paragraphs within appendices
- be printed on both sides of a page (if printed versions are requested by the Examining Authority)
- have a maximum file size of 50MB each, be in PDF format if possible and optimised for web viewing
- contain a table of contents for documents of more than two pages
- have clearly labelled plans with title page information in the bottom right hand corner
- have a list of revisions to plans or documents
- 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.
Do not submit video or audio information unless agreed beforehand with the Planning Inspectorate.
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 draft Development Consent Order
Applicants should read the government’s guidance on the Content of Development Consent Orders 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 2017) 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.
Some environmental information may need to be redacted. This may relate to information about the presence and locations of rare or sensitive species. Applicants should discuss proportionate redaction of this data with the Planning Inspectorate during the pre-application stage.
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.
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.
Scale of plans and drawings
Plans and drawings should comply with the requirements set out in regulation 5 of the APFP Regulations 2009:
- be no larger than A0 size
- show the direction of north
- include a scale bar
- be drawn to an identified scale no smaller than 1:2500 for onshore development
- use a suitable scale for offshore development (to avoid several maps showing empty sea)
- ensure the proposed development is clearly and accurately denoted
- 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.
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.
Data protection and privacy
As application documents are published, 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 on its website ico.org.uk. The Planning Inspectorate’s case team can provide further information on this matter on request.
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. Please see our terms and conditions of use on our website.
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.
Application acceptance checklist
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 in Appendix 3.
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.
GIS shapefile
To assist in reviewing the adequacy of pre-application consultation, including the identification of prescribed consultees, applicants should provide the Planning Inspectorate with a GIS shapefile of the land subject of the NSIP application.
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.
Fees
Pre-application fees
From October 2024, the Planning Inspectorate will be 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 2010 (as amended) 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 2017
- 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 (as amended) 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.
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 and within the date specified in any invoice or fee request.
A payment sheet with details about the payment process is available on request. All fees associated with the Planning Act are charged in line with relevant legislation and guidance.
Remittance notes and payable orders should be emailed to the relevant project mailbox at the Planning Inspectorate.
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 consultation 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.
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, 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 2009, the government’s National Infrastructure Planning Guidance and 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 and which information is relevant to their particular project.
| Document Number | Category | Document type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1.0 | Application forms | ||
| 1.1 | Application form | ||
| 1.2 | Application Cover Letter | ||
| 1.3 | Guide to the Application | ||
| 1.4 | Copies of newspaper notices | ||
| 1.5 | Pre-application Programme Document | ||
| 1.6 | Fast Track Admission Document (Fast Track procedure only) | ||
| Volume 2.0 | Plans, drawings and sections | ||
| 2.1 | Location plans | ||
| 2.2 | Land plans | ||
| 2.3 | Works plan | ||
| 2.4 | Access plan | ||
| 2.5 | Public rights of way plan | ||
| 2.6 | Site layout plans | ||
| 2.7 | Elevation drawings | ||
| 2.8 | Floor plans | ||
| 2.9 | Access, parking, and landscaping | ||
| 2.10 | Drainage and, or surface water management | ||
| 2.11 | Other detailed plans and sections | ||
| 2.12 | Plans of statutory and non-statutory sites or features (nature conservation, habitats, marine conservation zones, water bodies etc) | ||
| 2.13 | Plans showing statutory or non-statutory historic or scheduled monument sites | ||
| 2.14 | Crown land plan | ||
| 2.15 | Charts for marine schemes | ||
| 2.16 | Tree Preservation Order and Hedgerow Plan | ||
| Volume 3.0 | Draft DCO | ||
| 3.1 | Draft proposed order | ||
| 3.2 | Explanatory memorandum to draft proposed order | ||
| 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 | Pre-application Land and Rights Negotiations Tracker | ||
| Volume 5.0 | Reports and statements | ||
| 5.1 | Consultation report | ||
| 5.2 | Habitat Regulations Assessment Screening Report | ||
| 5.3 | Report to Inform Appropriate Assessment (where relevant or required) | ||
| 5.4 | Statutory Nuisance Statement | ||
| 5.5 | Consents and Licences Required Under Other Legislation | ||
| 5.6 | Planning Statement | ||
| 5.7 | Policy Compliance Document | ||
| 5.8 | Potential Main Issues for the Examination document (supported by Principal Areas of Disagreement Summary Statements) | ||
| 5.9 | Statement of Common Ground (SOCG) (if available at the acceptance stage) | ||
| 5.10 | Design Approach Document (DAD) | ||
| 5.11 | Safety Assessment | ||
| 5.12 | National Security Issues (where required) | ||
| 5.13 | Details of other consents and licences | ||
| 5.14 | Details of associated development, with references to documents | ||
| Volume 6.0 | Environmental statement | Please see our Advice on the Environmental Statement and the relevant Technical Advice Page for further information about the standard format and approach to environmental information and assessments. | |
| Volume 1 | Introductory chapters | ||
| Volume 2 | Aspect chapters | ||
| Volume 3 | Other environmental statement documents and technical appendices | ||
| Non-technical summary | |||
| Screening direction (if applicable) | |||
| Scoping opinion (if applicable) | |||
| Publicity requirements | |||
| Other media | 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 design and access statement, sustainability appraisal, health impact assessment, travel plan, code of construction practice, or carbon economy report. |