Development Consent Orders
Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects Integrated Expertise - Added Value
AWARD WINNING URS is a top 10 UK planning consultancy awarded RTPI Planning Consultancy of the Year in 2009, in recognition that our planning consultancy has become a UK leader in the provision of planning services and of our success in achieving positive planning outcomes for major infrastructure projects. In 2011, URS won ‘Best for Impact Assessment and Planning’ at the Edie Awards for Environmental Excellence.
Integrated Expertise - Added Value The Planning Act 2008 introduced a new consenting regime to improve and streamline the decision making process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). URS is at the forefront of the consenting process for NSIPs, assisting clients with the preparation, submission and examination of many Development Consent Order (DCO) applications.
URS IS REPRESENTED ON THE COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING ASSOCIATION
DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER APPLICATIONS: URS’ PLANNING, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT TRACK RECORD PROJECT TITLE
CLIENT
INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR
Fieldes Lock Power Station
Veolia
Energy from waste infrastructure
Seabank 3 CCGT Power Station
SSE
Gas energy generating stations
M1 Junction 10a
Luton Borough Council
Highway infrastructure
Thames Tideway Tunnel
Thames Water
Sewerage infrastructure
Mersey Tidal Power Project
Peel Energy
Off shore energy generating stations
Brigg North Power Station (CCGT)
Centrica
Gas energy generating stations
North Doncaster Chord
Morgan Sindall
Rail infrastructure
Yorkshire & Humber CCS Cross Country Pipeline
National Grid Carbon Ltd.
Gas pipeline infrastructure
Sizewell C
NNB Generation Company Ltd.
Nuclear energy generating stations
Ferrybridge Multifuel Power Station 2
Multifuel Energy Limited
Energy generating stations
Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay
Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay Ltd.
Energy generating stations
NSIP SERVICES We are experienced in steering developers through the highly regulated and demanding NSIP regime process. We provide an expert, trusted, effective and integrated professional service, founded on the core principle of risk identification and management. URS provides the Project Management, Planning, EIA and Stakeholder Engagement services required to prepare a DCO application.
We also offer an integrated team of assessment specialists via a single client-consultancy interface. URS offers the full range of design and engineering services required to develop preliminary designs for consenting purposes, to develop detailed engineering designs for project implementation and to oversee the development process. We also offer consenting services that may be included in a DCO or managed separately, such as Environmental Permitting.
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Fieldes Lock Power Station, DCO Application (top left); M1 Jct 10a, DCO Application (bottom left); Thames Tideway Tunnel, DCO Application (above)
Our Approach Our approach focuses on early engagement with the relevant planning authorities, to seek agreement on planning policy compliance and on necessary environmental impact mitigation measures.
We aim to de-risk projects by providing strategic advice at the beginning of the project, to inform a robust approach to environmental mitigation and section 106 negotiations with stakeholders and the Planning Inspectorate. Our ultimate goal is to secure the approval of a deliverable, commercially viable DCO. Key features of URS’ approach to the DCO application process: •• Careful and rigorous project management and programming of the application preparation and consultation. We have successfully project managed a DCO application to pre-examination stage, involving
coordination of the client’s wider team, including architects, engineers and legal advisors. •• Application of the right expertise in the delivery of consultation activities. This includes the preparation of application documentation to ensure that the procedures and scope of the application defined by the Planning Act 2008 (as amended), and other secondary legislation, are understood and followed, and ultimately the application adheres to the Planning Inspectorate’s Section 55 Checklist so that it can be accepted for examination without delay.
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NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS URS has the expertise to advise on the following types of NSIP: •• Energy generation & transmission •• Energy from waste & biomass •• Waste water treatment •• Rail •• Road •• Ports/Harbours •• Gas storage/Pipelines •• Reservoirs •• Airports
•• Design risk management - ensuring that the pre-application process requirements can still be met with an evolving development design, through collaborative working and strong communication between the URS project team, client’s project team/design team, legal team and land advisors. •• Early engagement with the relevant planning authorities, key statutory consultees, and local communities in order to identify project risks and to seek agreement on potential policy conflicts and on mitigation measures that can be built into schemes. This can also help to formulate early drafts of statements of common ground and other agreements and de-risk the examination.
•• Negotiation of the requirements (conditions) of the draft DCO and necessary section 106 agreements. These tasks require early engagement and sound project management to ensure an appropriate and reasonable DCO is applied for. •• Support in the post submission statutory notification and publicity process, following acceptance. •• Providing the resources required to help to achieve a smooth examination process. URS understands the demands placed on applicants at the examination stage and our large team can provide the right expertise and level of effort to prepare robust written and oral representations within the challenging programme set by the Inspectorate.
For further information please contact: dcouk@urs.com
Headquartered in San Francisco, URS Corporation is a leading provider of engineering, construction and technical services for public agencies and private sector companies around the world. The Company has the capabilities to support every stage of the project lifecycle, from inception through to start-up and operation, as well as decommissioning and closure. URS operates in nearly 50 countries through a network of offices in the Americas, the UK and Ireland, Continental Europe, the Middle East, India, China, Australia and New Zealand.
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