132: NEWS - ministerial teams relevant to Planning Act regime announced

This is entry number 132, first published on 18 May 2010, of a blog on the implementation of the Planning Act 2008. Click here for a link to the whole blog. If you would like to be notified when the blog is updated, with links sent by email, click here.

Today's entry reports on the new government ministers who will have responsibility for the Planning Act regime.

The members of the new coalition government have now been appointed. ere are the details of those relevant to the new Planning Act regime.

Communities and Local Government

Secretary of State: Eric Pickles MP (Con, Brentwood and Ongar)

Planning policy minister: Greg Clark MP (Con, Tunbridge Wells)

Local government and planning minister: Bob Neill MP (Con, Bromley and Chislehurst)

If the roles of the previous government are continued, Bob Neill will take responsibility for the overall regime, with which he is familiar as he was shadow planning minister before the election.

Energy and Climate Change

Secretary of State: Chris Huhne MP (LD, Eastleigh)

Energy minister: Charles Hendry MP (Con, Wealden)

This team will take responsibility for the six draft energy National Policy Statements and deciding applications for any of the seven types of nationally significant energy project, either until the NPSs are finalised, or permanently, if the regime is changed so that the government always takes decisions on applications.  We don't know yet if the six draft NPSs will be taken forward or whether they will start again from scratch, in which case there may be a differnt number.  As previously mentioned, the Nuclear Power NPS is specifically addressed in the coalition agreement: Chris Huhne may speak against it and Lib Dem MPs may abstain on it, although since then Mr Huhne and the Conservatives seem to have reached common ground on nuclear power coming forward as long as it is not subsidised by the state.

Transport

Secretary of State: Philip Hammond (Con, Runnymede and Weybridge)

Rail and aviation minister: Theresa Villiers (Con, Chipping Barnet)

Roads, freight and maritime minister: Mike Penning MP (Con, Hemel Hempstead)

Although Theresa Villiers is rail minister, Philip Hammond is to take direct responsibility for high speed rail.  This team will take responsibility for the Ports NPS (in draft) and the two other transport NPSs that are expected: National Networks (road, rail and rail freight interchanges), and Airports, and deciding the five types of nationally significant transport projects.  The Airports NPS will not now recommend a third runway at Heathrow, nor further runways at Gatwick and Stansted.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Secretary of State: Caroline Spelman (Con, Meriden)

Water minister: Richard Benyon (Con, Newbury)

Waste minister: Lord Henley (Con)

This team will take responsiblity for the expected three water and waste NPSs: Waste Water (which was expected around now), Hazardous Waste and Water Supply, and deciding the four types of nationally significant water and waste projects.