The Process

The following information should give you an idea of the process we're following. However, if you'd like to meet with a member of our team, you can call in at our offices at Y Plas, Machynlleth between 12 and 4pm on Thursdays.

At an expected installed capacity range of 128 - 160MW, the wind farm development at Nant y Moch is a nationally significant infrastructure project under the Planning Act 2008 and therefore is likely to be determined by the recently constituted Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC)*.

The new development consent and consultation system introduced by the Planning Act and administered by the IPC will ensure that local communities, the public, local authorities and interest groups will have much improved opportunities to make their views known and greater influence over the development process.

For further details please go to http://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk/ for more details.

The IPC has six decision making steps when dealing with applications:

1. Pre-Application: Once the IPC is made aware of the proposed application, it is registered on their website, which will include all project related information in the public realm. Early stage information of the proposal is expected to be made available in local media and public places - this is the current stage of the Nant y Moch project.

2. Acceptance by the IPC: Once the project is submitted formally, the IPC has 28 days to decide whether there has been effective consultation and whether the application meets the required standards. We anticipate this will take place in early 2011.

3. Pre-examination: If the application is accepted as above all members of the public can then register as an interested party and will be kept informed of progress and further opportunities to get involved. After 28 days all the relevant information will be published on to a specific project web page by the IPC. There will then be 21 days for comments to be recei ved on these which will be published on the IPC website.

4. Examination: During this period members of the public and communities can submit comments in writing to the IPC. The timetable for events at the examination stage is then confirmed. Registered parties have 28 days from the start of this stage to submit their detailed representations which will be published on the IPC website. Anyone can then make comments on these and will have 21 days to do so. Thereafter, the comments will be made available online next to the detailed representations to which they refer.

A Local Impact Report (LIR) will be produced by the relevant local authority or authorities, which is a report on the likely effects of the proposed development on their area. The LIR is submitted to the IPC no later than 42 days after the start of the Examination stage. Thereafter, it will be uploaded to the IPC website. You will then have 21 days to comment on the LIR through the website. 

5. Decision: The Commissioner(s) has 3 months in which to come to a decision or recommendation which will be issued with a Statement of Reasons on the IPC website.

6. Post Decision: The Planning Act 2008 allows for legal challenges of decisions on applications for orders granting development consent. The claim must be lodged within 6 weeks of the decision. Further information about the IPC and the process will be available at the Public Exhibitions. Do come along and talk to the project team.

* A new proposed Planning Bill by the new government may shift this decision making responsibility to the Planning Inspectorate.