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Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are usually infrastructure projects of a certain type and scale considered by the Government to be so large and of nationally important that permission to build them needs to be given at the national level by the responsible Government minister (the ‘Secretary of State’). 

Applicants, instead of applying to the local authority (the Council) for planning permission, must apply to the Planning Inspectorate (PINs) for a permission, called a Development Consent Order (DCO). The NSIP process is defined through the Planning Act 2008 (as amended).

The responsibility for accepting, examining, and determining the NSIP application rests with the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State and not the local authority.  If the NSIP is located within the local authority’s boundary, then the local authority is identified as a statutory consultee, or ‘Host Authority’, within the NSIP process.

The process

The NSIP process from the formal submission of the application through to determination and decision normally takes around 15 months. 

There are six stages:

  1. Pre-application: where the Applicant starts to prepare their application. They are required to consult with the local authority, affected people and organisations, and create documents outlining the project’s environmental and infrastructural impact. The time this stage takes depends on the complexity of the project.
  2. Acceptance: 28 days for the PINs to accept the application.
  3. Pre-examination: PINs is appointed and anyone who wants to have their say is given the opportunity to register as an interested party. Duration: between three to five months.
  4. Examination: the Application as submitted is reviewed. The Applicant, the local authority, and interested parties can submit comments/ ‘make representation’ at each deadline and attend the hearings that may take place.  Duration: up to a maximum of 6 months.
  5. Recommendation: PINs writes its report which is sent to the Secretary of State. Duration: up to a maximum of three months.
  6. Decision: the Secretary of State reviews the report and makes the final decision. Duration: up to a maximum of three months.

Go to the Planning Inspectorate website to read more about the NSIP process.

You can also see the guidance on GOV.UK.

Bedford Borough Council’s role

For NSIP applications that fall within or adjacent to Bedford Borough Council’s boundary, the Council will be involved in the NSIP DCO application acting in the capacity as either a host or neighbouring authority. 

A host authority is where the land included in the application falls within the administrative boundary, whereas neighbouring authorities share a boundary with a host authority. This may also include the Council working collaboratively with other councils, such as Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdonshire District Council.

As part of these roles, Bedford Borough Council may be involved in:

  • Scrutinising the Applicant’s NSIP application.
  • Offering technical advice as part of the consultation process. This could include providing the Applicant with a local perspective on the project.
  • If consent is granted, we may need to monitor and enforce some parts of the DCO.
  • If consent is granted, we may be the authority to discharge certain requirements (like conditions attached to a planning permission), or may act as a consultee for a requirement.

Please note that Bedford Borough Council is not the determining authority, the decision is made by the Secretary of State.

Taking part in the NSIP process

Opportunities for members of the public to take part in the NSIP process and comment on applications are as follows:

  1. Take part in pre-application consultations.
  2. Register to take part in the Examination (Members of the public can register as interested parties once an application has been accepted for Examination by PINs by submitting a relevant representation).
  3. Make written submissions and respond to Examiner’s questions.
  4. Attend hearings and site visits.
  5. Check the PINs project website for updates or further consultations by the Secretary of State that you may wish to respond to.

Any correspondence in relation to NSIPs needs to be directed to the Applicant (details for which can usually be found on their relevant NSIP project page) in the first instance, and then the Planning Inspectorate.

Please go to the Planning Inspectorate website in the first instance for information on the process and how to get involved.

Planning and Infrastructure Bill (2025)

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill (2025) proposes changes to the current requirements for consultations for the NSIPs process. This could include:

  • changes to the application acceptance requirements
  • revising requirements for consultation reports so that they summarise the themes and issues raised
  • removing the requirement to consult ‘Category 3’ persons during the pre-application stage

Please see: Planning and Infrastructure Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament for more information on the stage of this Bill and its content.

Current NSIPs in or neighbouring Bedford Borough 

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