Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy parks on communities.

Energy National Policy Statements state that impacts of Nationally Significant (energy) Infrastructure Projects on local communities should be kept to a minimum, and at a level that is acceptable. Developers are required to undertake an assessment of likely significant environmental impacts and to describe how the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, reduce, mitigate, compensate) has been applied to address possible impacts, including cumulative, on the wider environment. In addition, through the Clean Power Action Plan, we have made clear that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, we will ensure they benefit from it. On 21^st May we published our working paper setting out proposals for mandatory community benefits for low carbon infrastructure and seeking views on shared ownership.