A brief summary of current government consultations of potential interest to RSN members. This is not intended as an exhaustive list of all relevant consultations.

- Download a printable version of the Government Consultations here

Developing local partnerships for onshore wind in England – Dept for Energy Security & Net Zero

In the British Energy Security Strategy, the government committed to develop local partnerships for onshore wind in England, enabling supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure to directly benefit from doing so.

This consultation is seeking views on:

• improving the way developers and communities engage when an onshore wind site is proposed in a local area
• whether improvements can be made to the system of community benefits, so that communities directly benefit from cheap, clean, secure power

Government welcome responses from anyone with an interest in the policy area, but the consultation will be of particular interest to:

• those considering the development of new onshore wind in England
• English planning authorities and representative planning bodies
• electricity traders and suppliers
• consumer, community and environmental groups with an interest in the renewable electricity sector

This consultation closes on 7 July 2023.

Developing local partnerships for onshore wind in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Strategy and Policy Statement for energy policy in Great Britain – Dept for Energy Security & Net Zero

The government is seeking views on its proposed Strategy and Policy Statement for energy policy in Great Britain.

The Strategy and Policy Statement is developed in accordance with the Energy Act 2013 and sets out the government’s strategic priorities and other main considerations of its energy policy; the policy outcomes to be achieved as a result of the implementation of that policy; and the roles and responsibilities of those who are involved in implementation of that policy.

Ofgem (the independent energy regulator in Great Britain), and the Future System Operator, once established, will be required to have regard to the strategic priorities in the Strategy and Policy Statement when carrying out their functions. They must also carry out their respective regulatory functions in the manner which the Secretary of State or the Authority (as the case may be) considers is best calculated to further the delivery of the policy outcomes.

This consultation closes on 2 August 2023.

Strategy and Policy Statement for energy policy in Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Business Rates Improvement Relief: Draft regulations – Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

This consultation focuses on draft regulations to implement the government’s Business Rates Improvement Relief Scheme.

Government state: “Improvement Relief will support businesses wishing to invest in their property. It will ensure that no ratepayer will face higher business rates bills for 12 months as a result of qualifying improvements to a property they occupy. The Non-Domestic Rating Bill currently before Parliament contains powers to allow for the Improvement Relief Scheme.

This consultation seeks views on the draft regulations the government proposes to make under the powers in that Bill.”

This consultation closes on 28 August 2023.

Business Rates Improvement Relief: Draft regulations - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Shaping the future of England's strategic roads – Dept for Transport

Government is consulting on the set of proposals made in National Highways’ Initial Report. The report outlines National Highways’:

• view on the current state of the strategic road network (SRN)
• potential future needs
• proposed priorities for the next road period (RP3), covering the financial years 2025-26 to 2029-30

This consultation closes on 13 July 2023.

Shaping the future of England's strategic roads - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Retained EU employment law reforms – Dept for Business & Trade

This consultation sets out proposals for key areas of retained EU employment law that the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for.

The consultation seeks views on 3 areas of retained EU employment law which the department state could benefit from reform:

• record keeping requirements under the working time regulations
• simplifying annual leave and holiday pay calculations in the working time regulations
• consultation requirements under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE)

This consultation closes on 7 July 2023.

Retained EU employment law reforms - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Planning for new energy infrastructure: revisions to National Policy Statements – Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

The energy National Policy Statements (NPS) set out the government’s policy for the delivery of energy infrastructure and provide the legal framework for planning decisions.

Covering renewables, carbon capture and hydrogen, oil and gas pipelines and electricity networks, a range of updates are expected to speed up the planning process so that low-carbon generation can be brought forward at the right time and in the right places, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment on land and sea and ensuring local views are taken into account.

This consultation is more focused and seeks views on:

• clarifying that offshore wind is now a critical national priority, including the related onshore and offshore network infrastructure
• to deliver the 50GW of offshore wind including 5GW of floating wind, we need to cut the process time by over half. The government therefore announced it was introducing the offshore wind environmental improvement package to help accelerate deployment of offshore wind, whilst protecting and enhancing the marine environment
• strengthening the electricity networks NPS to include more detail on the role of strategic planning of networks, which considers the network as a whole, rather than just individual transmission projects
• updating the civil and military aviation and defence interests to reflect the status of energy developments, including offshore wind, and how impacts to civil and military aviation, meteorological radars and other types of defence interests should be managed

This consultation closes on 23 June 2023.

Planning for new energy infrastructure: revisions to National Policy Statements - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Community benefits for electricity transmission network infrastructure – Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Government are consulting on a recommended approach to community benefits for electricity transmission network infrastructure.

The consultation is proposing to create voluntary guidance for industry and communities when developing individual community benefit packages. This guidance will cover how to deliver direct benefits payments to eligible individuals and wider community benefits. They also recommend establishing a recommended level of funding for community benefits in agreement with Ofgem.

In this consultation government are seeking to gain the perspectives and views of different stakeholders to establish an approach that is both fair and effective. This includes stakeholders who could be involved in:

• developing and delivering communities benefits
• communities who could receive community benefits

This consultation closes on 15 June 2023.

Community benefits for electricity transmission network infrastructure - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Technical consultation on the Infrastructure Levy – Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

The Infrastructure Levy is a reform to the existing system of developer contributions – Section 106 planning obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy - in England. This consultation will inform the design of the Levy and of regulations that will set out its operation in detail. A further consultation on the drafting of those regulations will be published in due course. Alongside this publication is a report on an earlier design of the Levy, commissioned by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

This consultation closes on 9 June 2023.

Technical consultation on the Infrastructure Levy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Environmental Outcomes Reports: a new approach to environmental assessment – Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

Part 6 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will secure powers to implement a new system of environmental assessment known as Environmental Outcomes Reports. This will allow the government to replace the EU-derived Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment processes with a streamlined system that places greater focus on delivering our environmental ambitions.

The introduction of outcomes-based approach to the Environmental Outcomes Reports allows the government to reflect its environmental priorities directly into plan-making and decision-making process on the largest developments. The feedback from this consultation will help them establish their approach to developing these environmental outcomes across government.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is required to review the two existing sets of environmental impact assessment regulations it is responsible for every five years to consider whether the regulations have met the intended objectives of the legislation and understand their effect on business. The regulations are:

• the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017;
• the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017.

This consultation closes on 9 June 2023.

Environmental Outcomes Reports: a new approach to environmental assessment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)