How communities can take part in a significant infrastructure project (SIP)

The Welsh Ministers make decisions on Significant Infrastructure Projects (SIP). If consent is granted, the Welsh Minister will issue an Infrastructure Consent Order (ICO). 

Planning and Environment Decision Wales (PEDW) handle SIP applications on behalf of the Welsh Ministers.

The definition of a SIP can be found in the separate guidance: Significant infrastructure projects (SIP): overview

The stages of a SIP 

The different stages of a SIP are summarised below. 

Stage 1: pre-application

Developers engage with statutory consultees, special consultees and local communities. This consultation will be run for at least 6 weeks. The developer will have to provide draft documents supporting the consultation on a website and run at least one public event. The local communities are encouraged to engage with the developer and send their comments to help shape the draft proposal. 

Stage 2: application 

The application is submitted to PEDW for examination. PEDW reviews all the documents submitted.  If accepted, PEDW will publish the application on the PEDW casework portal, publicise the application on locally circulating newspaper and ask the relevant planning authority to set up site notices. PEDW will set the period during which people can send comments, which are called representations. At the same time, PEDW will appoint an examination authority (ExA) to conduct the examination.

Stage 3: examination

At the end of the consultation, the ExA will consider all representations and decide how to proceed with the examination.

Stage 4: decision

At the end of the examination, the ExA will produce a recommendation report which will be sent to the Welsh Minister for a final decision. If consent is granted, the decision is published.

National and local planning policy

Decisions on SIP applications must be based on the Local Development Plan (LDP) and Welsh Government planning policy. 

• LDPs are prepared by local planning authorities. They set out where development should be placed and include policies that DNS applications should comply with.
• Future Wales, Planning Policy Wales and related technical advice notes set out a range of Welsh Government planning policies.

You can view live and decided SIP cases on the PEDW casework portal.

Involve communities early

Developers are encouraged to involve communities at the earliest stage of a SIP. This is because:

• involving people with local knowledge results in better quality projects
• there are limited opportunities to change development later in the process.

How you might hear about a SIP  

• a letter
• a pamphlet or poster in a public space
• an advert in a local paper or on a website
• your community council

How to share your views about a draft SIP 

• go to developer meetings, events or visit the project website to find out more
• follow up this discussion with an email or letter setting out the ways in which you think the project could be improved.

You will have an opportunity to make a formal comment during the ‘pre-application consultation’.

Pre-application consultation

Before submitting an application to PEDW, developers must consult local communities for a period of at least six weeks on the draft SIP.

This consultation is the first ‘formal’ opportunity to share your views.

• The role of community and town councils informing developers and the planning authority about local issues
• helping developers organise events
• submit comments during the pre-application consultation.

Developers must engage directly with local residents, whether or not there is a community or town council.

Consultation

The developer is responsible for the consultation, not your planning authority. The developer will contact nearby owners and occupiers, the community council and other bodies. 

Site notices and local advertisements will publicise: 

• the draft SIP application
• information about where people can view copies of the draft SIP application, including all supporting documents.

Document availability in Welsh and English:

• Technical documents produced by the developer may only be available in English or Welsh.
• PEDW will encourage developers to produce any ‘public-facing’ documents in both languages (e.g. the Non-Technical Summaries of Environmental Statements) but this will be up to the developer.

How to submit your comments

• Send your written comment to the developer within the pre-application consultation period
• Read the developer’s documents first. Ask them if you need help finding the right document or need an accessible format.

Do not send comments to PEDW at the pre-application stage. PEDW will not add them to the case file at this point.

How your comments are considered

The developer must prepare a consultation report that summarises the feedback they received and explains how they have considered it. They may change the proposal in response. If they make further changes, they may carry out more engagement before submitting the application to PEDW, but they are not obliged to.

The developer submits the application to PEDW. If all required documents have been submitted, PEDW will accept the application. The ExA will be appointed, and the examination will start. The ExA sometimes includes more than one inspector).

Statutory consultation

Submitting comments or objections (representations)

PEDW will arrange for the planning authority to display a notice on site and will notify all relevant local parties inviting them to submit comments or objections (known as representations).

Local communities have at least 6 weeks to submit representations to PEDW.

Representations can be submitted to PEDW during this period by e-mail or by post or via PEDW’s casework portal. Our contact details are available at the end of this guidance.

How to make a written representation

Before writing a representation, thoroughly research the project and consider its impacts. Seek assistance from the developer or a case officer from PEDW if

necessary. Once ready, send your representation to PEDW and make sure to include:

• your full name, address, email address and telephone number (or the name and address of your agent if someone is acting for you)
• the PEDW case reference number, or the project title and site address from the planning casework portal
• the impacts you think the SIP would have (positive or negative) and any evidence
• whether you are making a joint case with others.

How PEDW handles your representation

• PEDW will publish all representations on the planning casework portal.
• Before publishing, we will redact certain information to comply with UK data protection law (including UK GDPR) and other relevant legislation.
• We do not remove names from representations by default. If you do not want your name to be published, please make this clear in a covering e-mail or letter or in the text box on our casework portal when you submit a representation.
• We cannot accept anonymous representations.
• The appointed ExA will see unredacted versions of representations. The applicant may also need to see unredacted versions. Please consider this when writing your representation.

How to write a good representation

The examining authority (ExA) bases its recommendation on facts supported by evidence.

Make your representation clear and effective:

• plan your points and keep them in a logical order
• focus on planning issues raised by the project (for example, impacts and benefits)
• stick to facts
• be specific and give examples or evidence
• say plainly what you want the ExA to understand
• use clear, everyday language

If you are invited to a hearing or inquiry, you will only be able to speak about matters the ExA identifies. The exception is an Open Floor hearing, where the ExA may give you limited time to raise issues you choose. See how we examine significant infrastructure projects: How we examine significant infrastructure projects (SIP)

You can request an Open Floor hearing in your representation. Explain why a hearing would help (for example, to raise community-wide issues or provide oral evidence). The examining authority (ExA) decides whether to hold one, and your reasons will inform their decision. 

What not to do in your representation

During the examination, the ExA can only consider planning matters. For example, a proposal’s:

• impact on landscape, local roads and traffic, protected species, or air quality
• economic benefits
• consistency with the National Development Plan.

The ExA cannot consider matters the courts have previously deemed not of public interest (for example, the quality of a view from a private building or changes in property value). Keep your representation focused on planning issues public interest impacts.

If your pre-application objection remains unresolved

If your objection during pre-application consultation remains unresolved, submit a new representation when invited to do so by PEDW. Read the developer’s consultation report to see how comments from the pre-application stage were considered and any project amendments made in response.

Petitions and ‘pro forma’ responses

The ExA recommendation to the Minister is guided by the issues raised, not how many people raised them. An ExA cannot attach more importance to an issue purely on the basis that many people have made an objection. 

If your community objects to a proposal, base your objection on planning impacts and merits.

At the end of the representation period, the developer may make minor changes to their project. The ExA decides whether to accept any changes.

The ExA will review:

• all submitted representations,
• the application documents,
• the Local Impact Reports (LIR) submitted by the planning authority and community council and, if present,
• the Marine Impact Report (MIR), if relevant
• the site (via a site visit)

Using this information, the ExA identifies the main issues raised by the proposal.

The ExA will decide if a hearing or inquiry is needed to explore those issues. If not, the examination will proceed on written representations, which carry equal weight to oral evidence.

The examination may involve:

• Written representations
• A hearing
• An inquiry
• Or a combination of these

A hearing is a discussion led by the ExA. 

An inquiry is more formal. Parties may have legal representation and witnesses can be cross-examined.

Hearings and inquiries are public events, but participation in discussions is limited to those invited by the ExA, unless it is an Open floor hearing. The ExA will invite individuals to provide oral evidence or additional written submissions only if needed to clarify a main issue.

Keeping track of the examination

All submission documents, LIR , MIR written representations and any hearing or inquiry documents will be available to view on PEDW’s casework portal.

Recommendation and decision

After the examination, the ExA sends a report to the Welsh Ministers, recommending whether the ICO should be granted or refused. While the recommendation is being considered, the report and recommendation are not available to participants. During this period, the Welsh Ministers review the ExA’s report, and all information associated with the application.

How to find out if the application has been approved

The Welsh Government will publish the decision on the Planning Casework Portal and will inform all interested parties. The decision will include a copy of the ExA’s recommendation report.

These details can be used for all queries regarding the SIP process or a specific SIP case. The e-mail address and postal address can also be used for the submission of representations.

E-mail: PEDW.infrastructure@gov.wales

Telephone: 0300 123 1590 

Post:

The Infrastructure Casework Team 
Planning and Environment Decisions Wales 
Crown Buildings
Cathays Park Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

PEDW’s role in the DNS/SIP System

PEDW handles applications and makes recommendations to Ministers on an open, fair and impartial basis, within the system as it was designed. PEDW is independent from those responsible for making the final decision and is not responsible for the overall design of the SIP system.

If you have concerns about the way the SIP system was designed or operates, contact the Welsh Government’s Planning Directorate: planning.directorate@gov.wales

Relevant legislation

• The Infrastructure Consent (Pre-Application and Application and Transitional Provisions) (Wales) Regulations 2025
• The Infrastructure Consent (Examination and Decision) (Procedure) (Wales) Regulations 2025
• The Infrastructure Consent (Compulsory Acquisition) (Wales) Regulations 2025
• The Infrastructure Consent (Miscellaneous) (Wales) Regulations 2025

Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPS)

SIP are similar to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), but: 

• NSIPs are decided by the UK Government
• SIP applications are decided by the Welsh Ministers.

NSIPs usually cover much larger projects (for example, certain energy generation above 350 MW). They can be in Wales, they are dealt with by The Planning Inspectorate, which is an executive agency of the UK Government. The final decision is taken by the UK Secretary of State.

PEDW is not involved in NSIP applications, and the Welsh Ministers do not make NSIP decisions.