Freight on Rail response to Consultation on Examination Procedures for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects as part of the Planning Act 2008

Freight on Rail Definition

Freight on Rail  is a campaign working to get goods off roads and onto rail as an important step in developing a more sustainable distribution system.

Freight on Rail  is a partnership between transport trades unions, freight operating companies, the Rail Freight Group and Campaign for Better Transport.  It works to promote the economic, social and environmental benefits of rail freight both nationally and locally. It advocates policy changes that support the shift to rail and provides information and help on freight related issues to central, regional and local government.

 
The planning process within IPC is important for schemes which include rail freight interchanges, (SRFIs), port developments with rail freight services and rail freight facilities to power stations.

Question 1
Overall, we support the draft rules but until such procedures are tested in practice, it is not possible to determine whether they are sufficiently robust. The possibility of modifying the procedures after an initial period should be considered.

We believe it is important the provisions of papers is made available to the general public with sufficient time in advance of proceedings to allow proper scrutiny by the public. We believe that there should a duty on promoters to undertake to this.

Question 2
Assessors appointed by examining bodies should be independent of the scheme under consideration (as a body and as individuals). However those assessors should only be able to comment on areas within the scope of their professional expertise. For example, in recent planning inquiries the Highways Agency has sought to comment on matters relating to rail capacity which is clearly beyond their remit. This should not be permitted under the new regime.

Question 6
We believe that Network Rail should be included as a statutory consultee and have stated this in the consultee consultation. We understand that they are now included under ‘ORR and relevant operators’. However this may not be clear to developers and in the guidance notes this should therefore be spelt out. IPC should be satisfied that ORR is sufficiently knowledgeable on this matter to direct developers accordingly.

Question 10
As in question 1, the guidance appears appropriate but should be able to be altered after an initial period based on experience.

Questions 14, 15
Five years seems an appropriate timescale.

Philippa Edmunds Freight on Rail Manager   September 29th 2009