Developing Consensus’ Infrastructure Pillar Group, has seen its feedback into ‘Freight, Logistics and the Planning System’ taken into consideration in the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) text which is currently being consulted upon.
In October of last year (2023), the pillar group, with assistance from the Pegasus team, put together a response to the call for evidence requested from the Department of Transport.
Hanna Mawson, Director at Pegasus Group, said: “When responding to the call for evidence, it was vital for us to highlight the need for planning policies and decisions to recognise the importance of the freight and logistics sectors, and their locational requirements.
“We highlighted a number of factors including the lack of national or local policy support for any speculative freight and logistics applications coming forward, and presented the idea of a national freight network that would identify priorities in a geographical context to assist LPAs in understanding the issues in their own locality.”
To read Developing Consensus’ full response, please click here.
Neil McMillan, Director of IMpeC Developments and Head of the Infrastructure Pillar Group, said: “This is a clear example of how responses and feedback we make within our membership, can have a direct impact on policies moving forward.
“The Department of Transport within its email has expressed that it is keen to continue working with us going forward ‘to raise the status of freight and facilitate the delivery of the right infrastructure in the right places.’
“We are now looking forward to moving our attention to the draft NPPF text, and would urge any members who would like to contribute or assist in the consultation response, to get in touch.”
Freight and Logistics amendments within the proposed text of the draft NPPF include:
84. Planning policies should:
- b) set criteria, and identify strategic sites,for local and inward investment to match the strategy and to meet anticipated needs over the plan period. Appropriate sites for commercial development which meet the needs of a modern economy should be identified, including suitable locations for uses such as laboratories, gigafactories, data centres, digital infrastructure, freight and logistics.
85. Planning policies and decisions should recognise and address the specific locational requirements of different sectors. This includes making provision for:
- b) storage and distribution operations at a variety of scales and in suitably accessible locations, that allow for the efficient and reliable handling of goods, especially where this is needed to support the supply chain, transport innovation and decarbonisation;
To join the infrastructure pillar group please contact neilmcmillan@impec-uk.com, or to find out more about joining Developing Consensus, please contact: Kelly.Compson@pegasusgroup.co.uk