National Infrastructure Projects: Devolution

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Wednesday 9th September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I am always very keen to hear the enthusiasm of friends in Shropshire for the devolution programme, which is moving ahead at pace. Achieving good growth in this country requires a fundamental rewiring of the way the country works and making sure that power that has been held in Westminster and Whitehall is returned to the people and the places where they live, work and invest. This Government’s ambition is to ensure that every area in England, including Shropshire, has or is in the process of establishing a strategic authority by the end of 2027, with strategic authorities in place everywhere by the end of 2028.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

My Lords, the Minister will be aware that Anglian Water has raised objections to a planning application in a specific area of water stress. As matters currently stand, water companies are not statutory consultees and are deemed to have to make the connection even if the connection is unsafe. Would the Minister look favourably on water companies becoming statutory consultees to prevent this situation happening, where there could be a sewage spill in these circumstances that could be avoided were they statutory consultees?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

We have tried to avoid increasing the list of statutory consultees because it affects the process. However, any authority can contribute to the planning process; I know that the noble Baroness is aware of that. We would expect local water authorities, where they consider that there will be a problem, to contribute both to an NSIP application or to a local planning authority application.