Part of Planning and Infrastructure Bill - Committee (1st Day) (Continued) – in the House of Lords at 3:45 pm on 17 July 2025.
Baroness Pinnock
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Housing, Communities and Local Government), Co-Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Peers
3:45,
17 July 2025
My Lords, I apologise for not preceding the noble Baroness, Lady Scott.
Amendment 17 would remove the required consent for the construction of or extensions to a generating station for electricity. Can the Minister explain why, in this instance, the government proposal is that it be disapplied from the existing requirements for going through a proper process? It is important to understand the reason. If it is for timeliness, what causes the delays? If it is for reasons of cost, is that related to timeliness? Is there another way to have accountability and public discourse without creating delays and cost pressures? Otherwise, why would we want to disapply the current requirements for consent? Again, there is a thread of accountability running through this: there is a tension, as the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, mentioned, between getting things done and accountability for local communities.
With those few comments, I look forward to a detailed answer from the Minister.
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