10 Years of The Planning Act: what lessons can we learn?
You are completing this survey because your organisation has engaged with the DCO regime established by the Planning Act 2008.
A study by Copper, Barton Willmore and Womble Bond Dickinson

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* 1. Please select which category you consider your organisation fits into:

Developer

Investor

Consultee

Decision Maker

Local Authority

Consultant / other (Please state which - Lawyer, Transport, Environmental, Planner, Designer, Agent, Communications)

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* 2. In what capacity has your organisation engaged with the DCO regime established by the Planning Act 2008?

Developer

Promoter

Interested Party

Decision Maker

Local Authority

Consultant or other (Transport, Environmental, Planner, Designer, or other - please state)

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* 3. Which development sector are you primarily involved in? (Please tick all that apply)

Energy

Transport

Waste

Water

Business & Commercial

Other (please specify)

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* 4. What do you believe are the key benefits of the DCO regime? Please tick three.

Certainty of timescale/speed

Certainty of decision

Opportunity for combined consents

Prior political support established

Cost effectiveness

Effective public-engagement

Quality of decision-making

Rigorous examination

Flexibility

Validity of the decision-making process

Any other comments?

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* 5. How do you believe the DCO regime could be improved? (Tick all that are appropriate)

Shorter timescales

More flexibility for amendments during examination

More flexibility for approval of detail post-consent through requirements

Clear process for amendments with defined timescales

DCO drafting dialogue with SoS (to avoid post-consent corrections)

Reduced fees

Central Government funding for LPAs involved in the process

Further public education on the regime

Other (please specify)

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* 6. Reflecting on your experience of the DCO regime, what was the biggest risk / challenge it posed?

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* 7. Do you believe the DCO regime has lived up to its original intentions in providing certainty to all those involved in the delivery of large scale nationally significant infrastructure projects?

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* 8. What do you see as the key challenges for the DCO regime moving forward into the next 10 years?

Timely SoS decision-making

Increased development flexibility

Defined amendment consent process

Proportionate EIAs

Agreed process for dialogue with SoS on final DCO wording to avoid 'drafting errors'

Other or wider comment

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* 9. What do you see as the key advantages of the DCO regime process in terms of compulsory acquisition?

Certainty of timescales

Simplified guidance & procedure compared to the pre-2008 regime

The 'one-stop shop' examination process to make the case for compulsory acquisition powers

The availability of temporary possession

Other or wider comment

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* 10. Do you believe the DCO regime could be appropriate for the consenting of large-scale mixed-use schemes? Please then note your reasons behind this in the text box. (If no, please skip Q11 & Q12).

Why?

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* 11. If YES, do you believe it could be appropriate for development of the following? (Please select all that apply)

New settlements of 25,000 units plus

New settlements of between 10,000 and 25,000 residential dwellings

Urban extensions of between 5,000 to 10,000 dwellings

Urban extensions of between 1,000 and 5,000 dwellings

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* 12. If YES, do you think the DCO regime should be the only consenting mechanism or an option alongside the existing planning regime and Locally Led New Town Corporations?

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* 13. Would you like to be kept up to date on the progress of this research as it develops?

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* 14. Please supply your name and email address. (Your details will not be used for marketing purposes)

Name