The rules have changed – but meaningful engagement remains essential.

By Anna Collins – Senior Account Director 

As of Friday 24 July 2026, the latest provisions of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 came into force, removing the statutory pre-application consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). This represents one of the most significant changes to the Development Consent Order (DCO) regime since its introduction and marks a shift from a highly prescribed consultation process towards a more flexible approach to engagement.

For many years, consultation has been shaped by detailed legal requirements. While intended to ensure transparency and consistency, these requirements often led to lengthy communications and consultation reports that could be difficult for communities to engage with and resource-intensive for developers to produce.

The Government’s new guidance creates a significant opportunity to rethink this approach.

Developers can now focus on clearer, more accessible communication and tailor engagement to the audiences most affected by a project.

Rather than consulting on every aspect of a scheme, engagement can focus on areas where community feedback can genuinely influence design and decision-making.

Similarly, instead of producing lengthy feedback reports, developers can provide concise summaries that clearly explain what feedback was received, how it informed the project, and, where changes were not made, the reasons why.

Perhaps most importantly, the changes create opportunities for more inclusive engagement. More targeted and proportionate approaches should help developers reach a broader range of voices, including younger people and groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in the planning process.

The removal of statutory consultation is not about reducing engagement. Rather, it is an opportunity to make consultation more focused, more transparent and, ultimately, more meaningful for both developers and communities.

Keep an eye on our social channels here over the coming weeks as we take a closer look at the opportunities the new guidance creates for more targeted and proportionate pre-application consultation.