Welsh Government Quantification of Infrastructure and Business/Commercial Planning Applications Submitted in Wales Final Report Issue 1 | 30 July 2014 This report takes into account the particular instructions and requirements of our client. It is not intended for and should not be relied upon by any third party and no responsibility is undertaken to any third party. Job number 233697-00 Ove Arup & Partners Ltd 4 Pierhead Street Capital Waterside Cardiff CF10 4QP United Kingdom www.arup.com Document Verification Job title Quantification of Infrastructure and Job number Business/Commercial Planning Applications 233697-00 Submitted in Wales Document title Final Report File reference Document ref Revision Date Filename Report.docx Draft 1 24 Mar Description First draft 2014 Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Natalie Queffurus Jessica Jones Kieron Hyams Signature Issue 27 Mar Filename 2014 Description Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Natalie Queffurus Jessica Jones Kieron Hyams Signature Rev A 9 Apr WG_InfraBusiness_Draft Final Report (incorporating WG Filename 2014 comments).docx Description Amended to incorporate client comments Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Natalie Queffurus Jessica Jones Kieron Hyams Signature Rev B 7 May Filename WG_InfraBusiness_Draft Final Report Rev B.docx 2014 Description Amended to include additional client comments Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Natalie Queffurus Jessica Jones Kieron Hyams Signature Issue Document Verification with Document | Issue 1 | 30 July 2014 Document Verification Page 2 of 2 Job title Quantification of Infrastructure and Job number Business/Commercial Planning Applications 233697-00 Submitted in Wales Document title Final Report File reference Document ref Revision Date Filename Issue 1- Arup Infrastructure Applications Final Report v2 - WG Issue 1 30 July Description Issue 2014 Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Natalie Queffurus Jessica Jones Kieron Hyams Signature Filename Description Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Signature Filename Description Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Signature Filename Description Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Signature Issue Document Verification with Document | Issue 1 | 30 July 2014 Welsh Government Quantification of Infrastructure and Business/Commercial Planning Applications Submitted in Wales Final Report Contents Page 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background to the Study 1 1.2 Study Scope and Approach 1 1.3 Structure of the Report 8 1.4 Acknowledgements 8 2 Review of Applications Considered 9 2.1 Introduction 9 2.2 Data Limitations 9 2.3 Summary Data 10 2.4 Summary of Applications 14 3 Infrastructure Planning Applications 15 3.1 Total Number of Applications 15 3.2 Number of Applications Received Per Annum 15 3.3 Pre-Application Stage 16 3.4 Validation 17 3.5 Application Type 17 3.6 Size of Infrastructure Planning Applications 18 3.7 Application Fees 20 3.8 EIA Development 20 3.9 Officer Involvement 21 3.10 Consultees 22 3.11 Provision of Additional Information 22 3.12 Determination Method 23 3.13 Members’ Site Visits 23 3.14 Application Decisions 24 3.15 Determination Timescales 25 3.16 Planning Appeals 26 3.17 Section 106 Agreements 26 3.18 Pre-Commencement Conditions 27 3.19 Start on Site 28 4 Business/Commercial Planning Applications 29 4.1 Total Number of Applications 29 4.2 Number of Applications Received Per Annum 29 4.3 Pre- Application Stage 30 4.4 Validation 31 4.5 Application Type 32 | Issue 1 | 30 July 2014 Welsh Government Quantification of Infrastructure and Business/Commercial Planning Applications Submitted in Wales Final Report 4.6 Size of Business/Commercial planning applications 32 4.7 Application Fees 33 4.8 EIA Development 33 4.9 Officer Involvement 34 4.10 Consultees 35 4.11 Provision of Additional Information 35 4.12 Determination Method 36 4.13 Members’ Site Visits 37 4.14 Application Decisions 37 4.15 Determination Timescales 38 4.16 Planning Appeals 38 4.17 Section 106 Agreements 38 4.18 Pre-Commencement Conditions 39 4.19 Start on Site 40 Tables Table 1: Infrastructure Categories Table 2: Business and Commercial Thresholds Table 3: Summary of LPA Responses Table 4: Total Number of Infrastructure and Business/Commercial Applications by LPA Table 5: Number of Applications Above and Below the Threshold Table 6: Total Number of Applications by Infrastructure Category Table 7: Total Number of Infrastructure Planning Applications Received Per Quarter Table 8: Size of Infrastructure Planning Applications by Category Table 9: Fees for Infrastructure Planning Applications by Category Table 10: Total Number of Business/Commercial Planning Applications by Category Table 11: Total Number of Business/Commercial Planning Applications Received Per Quarter Table 12: Size of Business and Commercial Planning Applications by Category Table 13: Fees for Business/ Commercial Planning Applications by Category Figures Figure 1: Pre-Application Stage Figure 2: Validation of Infrastructure Applications Figure 3: Application Type Figure 4: EIA Development | Issue 1 | 30 July 2014 Welsh Government Quantification of Infrastructure and Business/Commercial Planning Applications Submitted in Wales Final Report Figure 5: Officer Involvement Figure 6: Consultees Figure 7: Provision of Additional Information Figure 8: Determination Method Figure 9: Members’ Site Visits Figure 10: Application Decisions Figure 11: Determination Timescales Figure 12: Planning Appeals Figure 13: Section 106 Agreements Figure 14: Number of Pre-Commencement Conditions Figure 15: Start on Site by Year Figure 16: Pre- Application Stage Figure 17: Validation of Business/Commercial Applications Figure 18: Application Type Figure 19: EIA Development Figure 20: Officer Involvement Figure 21: Consultees Figure 22: Provision of Additional Information Figure 23: Determination Method Figure 24: Members’ Site Visits Figure 25: Application Decisions Figure 26: Determination Timescales Figure 27: Section 106 Agreements Figure 28: Pre-Commencement Conditions Figure 29: Start on Site by Year Pictures Picture 1: Map 1 - Distribution of Infrastructure Applications Picture 2: Map 2 - Distribution of Business/Commercial Applications Appendices Appendix A Glossary of Terms (Infrastructure Planning Applications) Appendix B Interview Proforma Appendix C Summary List of Infrastructure Planning Applications | Issue 1 | 30 July 2014 Welsh Government Quantification of Infrastructure and Business/Commercial Planning Applications Submitted in Wales Final Report Appendix D Summary List of Business/Commercial Applications | Issue 1 | 30 July 2014 Welsh Government Quantification of Infrastructure and Business/Commercial Planning Applications Submitted in Wales Final Report 1 Introduction The Welsh Government commissioned Arup to undertake research to examine the numbers of planning applications for infrastructure projects, plus business/commercial projects, submitted to local planning authorities over the period April 2005 to February 2012. The aim of the research was to obtain a better understanding of the numbers of infrastructure and business/commercial planning applications submitted to Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in Wales in order to inform the Regulatory Impact Assessment to accompany the Planning (Wales) Bill introduced to the National Assembly for Wales. 1.1 Background to the Study The Welsh Government has been considering the legislation that is required for Wales in terms of the determination of infrastructure and business/commercial projects. The 2012 review of the planning system in Wales carried out by the Independent Advisory Group1 highlighted the delays and complexities encountered in obtaining planning consents for major projects and highlighted the delays experienced in infrastructure planning applications. In addition to the information on infrastructure planning applications, the Welsh Government also wished to obtain data on the number and scale of business and commercial planning applications. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) concluded consultation on extending the nationally significant infrastructure planning regime to include business and commercial projects during 2013. The DCLG consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nationally-significant- infrastructure-planning-extending-the-regime-to-business-and-commercial- projects. Further to this consultation, the Infrastructure Planning (Business or Commercial Projects) Regulations 2013 came into force during December 2013. These regulations extend the regime to include business or commercial projects, if the Secretary of State considers such a project to be of national significance and gives a direction to this effect under Section 35 of the Planning Act 2008. 1.2 Study Scope and Approach The scope of the study was to assemble and analyse evidence on infrastructure and business/commercial planning applications over the period April 2005 to October 2013. Infrastructure Planning Applications Data was collected from LPAs for infrastructure projects for all planning applications that would fall outside Section 14 of the Planning Act 2008 (as amended) (the Act), as far as they reflect Town and Country Planning matters and where responsibility for determination currently rests with LPAs in Wales. 1 Towards a Welsh Planning Act: Ensuring the Planning System Delivers. Report to the Welsh Government by the Independent Advisory Group, June 2012. | Issue 1 | 30 July 2014 Page 1 Welsh Government Quantification of Infrastructure