Significant infrastructure projects (SIP): pre-application services from Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW)

Applicants can request pre-application services from Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) in accordance with The Infrastructure Consent (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Wales) Regulations 2025. There are separate processes for obtaining advice from planning authorities or from Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

The SIP may require Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). PEDW provide EIA Screening and / or EIA Scoping services which are best sought before other pre-application services to help resolve queries at an early stage. More information on EIA: Significant infrastructure project (SIP): environmental impact assessment guidance

Advice could include:

• the form and content of applications
• the types of technical reports that should be submitted with the application
• the relevant policies
• the procedure for making, examining, and deciding SIP applications
• any deemed consents or removed consents in an infrastructure consent order.

 Additionally we can provide:

• a pre-submission check of the completeness of the draft Environmental Statement
• a pre-submission check of the validity of the application.

You can also request a meeting. This could be to discuss a potential written request, or to update us about your scheme.

Applicants can request an Inception Meeting which is an early-stage pre-application meeting. Meetings are usually held virtually and scheduled for one hour. Applicants can present an overview of their SIP project and discuss key procedural matters, including:

• details of the consents sought
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
• how the application process works
• publicity requirements
• consultation requirements
• timeline for determination of the application

PEDW's pre-application advice:

• is based on the information provided by the applicant and we do not usually consult other bodies when preparing our advice
• is not binding on the Examining Authority

Before a request to PEDW, applicants should seek pre-application advice from the planning authority or other relevant consultees like Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to benefit from:

• local knowledge of the area and relevant local policies
• specialist knowledge of site constraints or likely impacts of the SIP

Applicants can make a request any time before submitting the application. It is best to contact PEDW at PEDW.Infrastructure@gov.wales first to discuss how PEDW can help. Often it is helpful to hold an inception meeting first to discuss procedures. 

• Requests to PEDW must be made on the relevant form and be accompanied by the relevant fee: Significant infrastructure projects (SIP): request pre-application services from Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW)
• PEDW’s fees for providing pre-application advice: Fees for significant infrastructure project (SIP) applications

When PEDW receives a request, we will check it is on the relevant form and includes: 

• a plan drawn to an identified scale and showing the direction of north, or
• for development in the Welsh marine area, co-ordinates which identify the location of the application; and
• any other plans, drawings and information necessary to describe the proposed development; and
• the fee; and
• details of any requests for a screening or a scoping opinion under the EIA Regulations.

If it is not valid, we will reply to confirm why we are not accepting it. If it is valid, we will write to confirm this and the deadline for providing our response. 

The advice will usually be provided within 29 days from the date of our confirmation the request is valid. If this changes, if the request is particularly complex or technical, we will write to confirm the new deadline. 

PEDW must keep and publish a register of requests for pre-application advice to include:

• a copy of the form,
• any plan submitted, and
• any documentation, reports or other information submitted 

PEDW must normally publish our advice when it is issued. If the applicant wants to request that we delay publication they must provide reasons. The reasons for confidentiality must outweigh the public interest in disclosure. The latest we can delay is until the Notification stage, or three years after the advice is issued.