, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Okay, thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Okay. All right. But do you feel that, this, by insisting that all the information is brought together before an application is made and the clock starts ticking on that 52 weeks, so everything like bat surveys, if they're relevant, or other nature impact…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Okay. This committee, and its predecessor, has done a load of work on how we've got to ensure that these offshore developments are going to benefit the coastal communities who are going to be hosting all the to-ing and fro-ing that's going to go on to create…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Okay. Fine. Well, we're obviously going to try and ensure that it's at least as good as that. Just coming back to you, Ross, in your paper, you point out that a local authority 'must' submit a local impact report when it's a development on land, but it's only…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Okay. But learning from the streamlined process going on in England, the Planning Act 2008 allows the examining inspector to consider whether the material submitted is comprehensive enough to allow meaningful examination to take place. So, I think that ought…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
I'll stop you there, because obviously we're trying to ensure that this Bill is better than that. Annie, can I just come to you, before I go on any further into this, as to whether you think that this is going to make it easier for the public to be engaged…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Well, we've all had that.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
But the developers are saying clearly, both in consultations outside this committee and in evidence to us, that they are prepared to pay a good deal more to ensure that the resources are available for all the different bodies to be able to respond effectively…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Okay. Well, that needs to be borne in mind, yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Okay. We've heard evidence, earlier in this hearing, about the importance of modern technology to enable the rules of the game to be transparent and available through the internet, because none of the developers, since COVID, do anything on paper; it's all…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Well, we all welcome that.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Well, I think that's what's changing, though, is that there will be an obligation on anybody who's applying for a significant infrastructure project to have already done all the engagement and pull together all the other evidence they're going to need to make…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Okay. But looking at this proposal, rather than the current—. You know, we accept that it's not perfect, but the point is that what the Minister is saying is that this is going to make it easier for the public to be involved.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
Thank you. I wanted to look at how the Bill improves, or doesn't improve, community involvement. Ross, at the beginning of your CPRW submission, you talk about the importance of safeguards for nature, as required by the Well-being of Future Generations…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
Well, I don't think we'll leave it to the Minister; I think we'll put into legislation what we think is going to work best. Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
Okay. Do you agree?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
Okay. Obviously, any law has to be flexible enough to take account of exceptional circumstances, like a major pollution incident or something of that nature, which definitely didn’t come from the applicant. So, we’ve had it suggested that the Minister would…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
Okay. So, we've heard from somebody who has been in an examining authority in England, where they kept to the six months for the inquiry, three months for writing the report, and three months for the ministerial decision. It was pretty compelling, as it…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
Thank you very much. Some respondents are concerned that the 52-week statutory time frame could slow down decision making on smaller projects, and others say it's not long enough for more complex projects. What's your view of this 52-week window? Do you want…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
Okay, thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
Okay. So, nothing in this Bill will speed up this process. There are other issues, which we're not dealing with today.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
Yes. As the Member for Cardiff Central, I have been waiting for many years to try and get some progress on streamlining the four lines that run between Cardiff towards, obviously, the main line towards London, in order to be able to intensely use some of the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Transport sector developers
No. I just thought that was really important information.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Energy sector developers
Okay. Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Energy sector developers
Okay. Thank you for that clarity. Is there anything further you want to say on ensuring that there are only exceptional circumstances where you would allow extension?
