The City of London Law Society (CLLS) has criticised the government's proposed reforms of the planning process for major infrastructure projects, warning that the idea of an independent commission will fail unless the body is genuinely impartial and adequately resourced.


The reforms, contained in a White Paper, aim to streamline planning decisions concerning large and often controversial projects, such as new power stations, roads and airports.



The paper proposes an independent Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), empowered to make planning decisions based on economic, environmental and other strictly non-political considerations.



It also suggests the introduction of national policy statements, setting out the government's objectives for nationally significant infrastructure projects. These would specify where the projects were to be sited and allow the public to participate in the decision-making process.



Rupert Jones, chairman of the CLLS planning and environmental law committee and a partner at Weil Gotshal & Manges, said the government was seeking a solution to the type of problem experienced at major infrastructure projects such as Heathrow's Terminal Five, where the array of consent bodies involved caused delay and extra cost.



Mr Jones added that an IPC made up of the 'great and the good' is a good idea in principle if it 'fast-tracked' the process. 'But I'm not convinced that the government, especially if a general election was coming up, would actually allow the IPC to give the go-ahead to a project that cost votes,' he said.



Cameron McKenna partner Tony Kitson said the IPC's success would depend on its resourcing.



Jonathan Rayner