Introducing the NSIP Community Sentiment Research

From the Government’s NSIP Action Plan to Labour’s Infrastructure Review, speeding up the delivery of the major infrastructure projects needed to reach net zero is a major focus ahead of the General Election.

NSIPs are – for those who don’t spend their time reminiscing about the childhood joys of Alphabetti Spaghetti - Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. These are major infrastructure projects like large solar or wind farms, nuclear power stations or airport runways which need planning permission from government, rather than local councils.

Both parties see improving the way that communities are involved in the development of infrastructure projects as part of the solution. Consultation was one of the five areas identified the Government’s prescription to speed up consenting for major infrastructure projects, the NSIP Action Plan, last year. 

There is an underlying premise here – that engagement can make proposed infrastructure projects more acceptable to communities and reduce the degree of challenge projects face. As specialists in using communications, advocacy and consultation to help secure development consent for NSIPs, we’re naturally inclined to agree.

But we wanted to test that premise. That’s why we have conducted our first NSIP Community Sentiment Research - a nationally representative piece of research looking at what makes new infrastructure acceptable – and unacceptable – to communities – and how consultation and engagement fits into that picture.

We’ll be giving a preview of the outcomes of our research at the NSIP Forum 2024 tomorrow, ahead of a full release later in the year. Get in touch now if you would like to hear more about the research once it’s released.