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Today's entry looks at progress on both the Growth and
Infrastructure Bill and the Rookery South energy from waste
project.
Growth and Infrastructure Bill
The Growth and Infrastructure Bill had its report stage and
third reading in the House of Commons on Monday. As
predicted, all the government amendments were passed and none of
the other amendments were. The bill got its third reading by
273 votes to 231 - the 42 majority being somewhat short of the
majority of 79 that the government enjoys overall. The
Hansard report of the debate can be found here, but I've
read it so you don't have to.
Debate on the bill at report stage was divided into three and a
half sessions.
The first session focused on Nick Herbert MP's new clause
that planning policy functions should only be exercised if there
is, or will be, sufficient infrastructure to support new
development, which was supported by a number of MPs.
The debate then took on a Welsh flavour with arguments about
whether Labour's line was that energy projects of below 100MW
should be devolved, or a higher figure. The Plaid Cymru MP
whose area contains the Brechfa Forest West windfarm currently in
the Planning Act regime complained that there was a 'huge
democratic deficit' with it being decided in London - ironic,
considering that giving decision-making to the Secretary of State
was supposedly to restore the democratic deficit of the
Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).
The second session dwelt on the proposals to allow s106
agreements' affordable housing provisions to be revisited, and
there was a brief discussion on town and village greens (the half
session) before the guillotine came down.
The final session dealt with the employment clause about what
are now 'employee shareholders'. Analogies ranged
from Dickens (Scrooge) to Dizzee Rascal (bonkers).
The debate moved on to the third reading and therefore back to
the general principles of the bill. Opinions differed.
Michael Fallon MP, business minister, said 'the Bill will
provide for commencement on Royal Assent for clauses that support
stalled sites being unblocked, broadband being rolled out, the
removal of legislative blocks on the gas innovation network
competition, and broadening the major infrastructure
regime'.
Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, shadow planning minister,
said 'the Bill will do little to promote growth or to
encourage the delivery of infrastructure'.
Nick Raynsford, backbench Labour MP, said 'it is about
obfuscation, smoke and mirrors, waffle and self-delusion'.
John Howell, backbench Conservative MP, said 'It is a
perfectly formed Bill that we should vote for with absolute
confidence'.
The bill has now 'passed' the Commons and was introduced
into the Lords the next day. The new version of the Bill
incorporating all the amendments made in the Commons can be found
here. Second reading in the Lords is to be on 8
January.
Rookery South
Blog readers will be familiar with the saga of the Rookery South
energy from waste project in Bedfordshire. It was given
consent by the IPC in October 2011, but because of triggers in the
Planning Act (soon to be amended by the above bill), it was
referred to Parliament for further consideration known as Special
Parliamentary Procedure (SPP), where it has remained ever
since.
Last week, however, having floated like a butterfly for six
weeks of hearings, the committee of three MPs and three peers
considering the application stung like a bee. Of the five
petitions made to it they dismissed three as there being 'no
case to answer' - i.e. the project promoters don't need to
put their case in rebuttal of the petitioners' case.
For the remaining two petitions, however, the committee found
that there was a case to answer on one point common to them - the
effect the project would have on the proposed Bedford to Milton
Keynes Waterway. The project promoter therefore addressed
that point in its evidence yesterday. The two sides have been
left to negotiate on this issue and report back at the
committee's next hearing on 16 January. For the committee
decision, scroll down to the end of this document.
We can therefore be confident that the project will clear
Parliament, either with additional safeguards relating to the
waterway or unchanged. This is likely to happen later in
January and could yet get Rookery South on the Planning Act podium
in bronze medal position. It could be pipped by the Kentish
Flats wind farm, though, which is due to be decided by 1 March.
Don't forget to enter the Christmas champagne competition (or
'champage' competition, being what you go on when you have
too much champagne at Christmas).
This is the last blog entry for 2012. Assuming the world
hasn't ended, the blog will be back in the New Year, possibly
reporting from Bugarach. Merry Christmas and a happy,
healthy and prosperous 2013 to all blog readers!
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