Chapter 4: Grant and Implementation of Planning Permission Chapter 6: Other Provision Section 127: Power to shorten deadline for examination of development consent order applications Background
Section 98 of the Planning Act 2008 relates to the timetable for examining and reporting on Development Consent Order applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP). It imposes a duty on the Examining Authority to complete its examination of an application by the end of the period of six months from the last day of the preliminary meeting where an initial assessment of the principal issues takes place. It also provides the Secretary of State with the power to extend the six-month deadline.
	This section gives the Secretary of State a corresponding power to set an earlier deadline for completion of an Examination, where the Secretary of State considers it is appropriate to do so. The intention for this power is to support the reforms to the NSIP planning system as set out in the NSIP Action Plan (February 2023), in particular the process for fast-track consenting.