Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that communities affected by multiple nationally significant infrastructure projects are protected by coordinated mitigation efforts, kept informed about the cumulative impacts of projects, and have opportunities to co-create mitigation measures with developers.

The government recognises that some communities may be affected by multiple Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). NSIP applications are likely to require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). All EIAs must assess cumulative effects, including those arising from existing and reasonably foreseeable developments in the vicinity. The EIA process is a statutory requirement, providing robust safeguards to ensure that cumulative impacts are identified and addressed before any development proceeds. There remains opportunities for communities to scrutinise proposals and inform mitigation measures through examination.

We also published updated guidance on 14^th July which summarises the process for undertaking cumulative effects assessments in the context of NSIPs under the Planning Act 2008, which can be found on gov.uk here