Call for Evidence

The Transport Committee is carrying out an inquiry into the draft revised National Networks National Policy Statement (NNNPS).

The NNNPS is the Government’s statement of strategic planning policy for major road and rail schemes. It provides guidance to applicants in preparing, and the Secretary of State in determining, applications for Development Consent Orders for national networks infrastructure projects.

The current NNNPS was designated by the Department for Transport in 2015. The Government said in July 2021 that it would be reviewed in order to account for net zero commitments made since 2015, and to ensure the road network meets current and future demand.

The draft revised NNNPS was laid by the Government on 14 March 2023 (HCWS629). It sets out the Government’s stated needs for the development of road, rail and strategic rail freight interchange projects on the national networks, and the policy against which decisions on major road and rail projects will be made.

The draft revised NNNPS was published alongside a Habitats Regulation Assessment and an Appraisal of Sustainability, which have the stated purpose of examining the likely social, economic and environmental effects of the NNNPS and describing actions that could be taken to reduce those effects.

The Government has launched a public consultation on the draft revised NNNPS. The Transport Committee’s inquiry is a separate process to the Government’s consultation.

The Committee would welcome written evidence that addresses the terms of reference below by Monday 15 May 2023.

As part of its evidence gathering for this inquiry, the Transport Committee welcomes written evidence addressing the following areas:

1. Whether and in what ways the draft revised NNNPS is likely to be more effective than the current version, and whether opportunities to further improve have been missed;
2. How effectively the draft revised NNNPS will allow the Government to deliver nationally significant infrastructure projects while also allowing for proper scrutiny of proposed projects;
3. How effectively the draft revised NNNPS will prevent delays to obtaining Development Consent Orders;
4. The validity of the draft revised NNNPS’s Statement of Need for the development of National Networks, including a) road and b) rail, including Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges;
5. How effectively the draft revised NNNPS supports the ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2050;
6. How effectively the draft revised NNNPS supports levelling-up and growth;
7. The effectiveness of the assessment framework that underpins the general policies and considerations set out in Chapter Four of the draft revised NNNPS;
8. How effectively the draft revised NNNPS provides a framework for assessing the general impacts of nationally significant infrastructure projects, as set out in Chapter Five;
9. The robustness and transparency of the Appraisal of Sustainability used to assess the draft revised NNNPS;
10. The effectiveness of the Department for Transport’s consultation on the draft revised NNNPS;
11. The effectiveness of the NNNPS in ensuring alignment with local transport plans and local networks, and taking into account the impact on communities where national networks are located.