Infrastructure news

DCO granted for INRG Solar’s 150MWp Little Crow Solar Farm

Body: INRG Solar has been granted a development consent order (DCO) for its 150MWp Little Crow Solar Farm in Lincolnshire. Expected to have a lifespan of 35 years, the site will cover a total area of 226 hectares with 356,670 solar panels set to cover 153 hectares. In addition, the scheme will comprise a battery energy storage system (BESS), with output of up to 90MW. 

The scheme was designated an NSIP in 2018, being over 50MW, prior to it being submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 4th December 2020 and accepted for Examination on 23rd December 2020. There has been a considerable rise in the number of solar NSIPs over the last couple of years, with nine registered with the Planning Inspectorate. 

M54 to M6 Link Road development consent decision announced

On 21st April 2022, the Secretary of State for Transport granted development consent for the M54 to M6 Link Road. The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration by Highways England (now National Highways) on 31 January 2020 and accepted for Examination on 28 February 2020. 

Aiming to reduce congestion on both local and regional routes, specifically the A460 and A449, the scheme will comprise:  

• a new 2.5km (1.6 miles) link road between the M54 Junction 1 and the M6 Junction 11 
  
  
• a new junction at M54 Junction 1 to provide direct links to and from the M54 and the new link road, and to maintain the connections to the local road network 
  
  
• realignment of Hilton Lane over the new link road 
  
  
• a new junction at M6 Junction 11 with junction capacity improvements and changes proposed to Mill Lane 

This scheme is the 110th Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and 38th transport application to have been examined by The Planning Inspectorate within the timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008.  

Read more: Accelerating the planning and delivery of infrastructure in post-Covid Britain  

 

Government pledges £7.6 million towards rail innovation

On 12 April 2022, Rail Minister Wendy Morton officially announced this year’s First of Kind competition, which invites bids from companies specialising in innovative ways to modernise the railways. Partnered with Innovate UK, the competition will award up to £7.6 million to develop cutting-edge ideas that are striving towards transforming rail travel for passengers and decarbonising the network. 

Running from 20 April 2022 to 8 June 2022, the competition welcomes proposals from organisations of all sizes for projects creating a greener, more cost-effective and passenger-focused railway. In particular, focus will be on technologies that improve the industry’s cost efficiency and network performance to support a more reliable railway for passengers and improving rail freight. 

Last year saw 33 innovators receive grants of up to £400,000 each; to-date, the competition has invested £35.4 million into over 100 ground-breaking projects. 

Modular design revealed for HS2’s Thame Valley Viaduct

HS2 Ltd has revealed that the 800-meter-long structure will be made from prefabricated concrete segments that will simply slot together; not even the supporting piers will be cast in-situ. 

With 36 spans, each one 25 meters long, the viaduct will carry high-speed HS2 trains over the flood plain of the River Thame (a tributary of the Thames) near Aylesbury; the structure will be set low into the landscape – only three meters above the ground.  

Traditionally, viaduct beams are secured together above each of the piers with a concrete diaphragm which is cast in-situ. However, the larger pre-cast beams for this structure can be secured directly to one another, eliminating the requirement for a diaphragm. The anticipated benefits of this approach include improved durability and reliability, saved time, cost savings and improved safety by reducing the need for people to work at height. 

CPO approved for Darlington Station redevelopment

The proposed £100m renovation of Darlington Railway Station has moved a step closer, with Darlington Borough Council granted land assembly powers under a compulsory purchase order (CPO). The approval means that several properties, including Victorian inn Hogan's can be demolished. 

Under the proposals, the station redevelopment will incorporate three new platforms, a new station building, parking and a passenger interchange. The parcels of land subject to the CPO include 3,803 sq. metres of roads including Adelaide Street, St John’s Place, Neasham Road, Garbutt Square, Victoria Street, Princes Street and Albert Street, 5,601 sq. metres of Garbutt Square Car Park, the Grey Horse Inn, on St John’s Place, the East End Club and Institute, on Neasham Road and Hogans on Victoria Road. 

Permission for the eastern and western entrances was granted last year and £25m of funding has been provided by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority. Demolition was scheduled to take place this spring, with construction due to start later in the summer. 

The process of assembling land can take many forms, with compulsory purchase being just one, used only as a last resort. Carter Jonas has one of the few specialist land assembly and compulsory purchase teams in the UK who advise across all market sectors. We have experience and expertise throughout the compulsory purchase process, from laying the groundwork in policy support to settling compensation claims after confirmation of the CPO. Find out more > 

New laws to be introduced to erase mobile coverage ‘not spots’ 

The government has announced that it will make amendments to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 in respect of telecommunications infrastructure. The changes are intended to: 

• Connect the countryside to 4G quicker and accelerate the roll out of 5G 
  
  
• Reduce the need for new telecoms masts and boost signal on roads 
  
  
• Preserve rural scenery and minimise the impact of new infrastructure through protections 

As a result of the permitted development reforms, fewer masts will be required overall as operators will be able to upgrade existing infrastructure over building new masts and share more sites.  

Operators will instead be able to make new and existing phone masts up to five metres taller and two metres wider than current rules permit, boosting the range of masts, creating room for the extra apparatus required for faster networks and make it easier for operators to share infrastructure. 

In turn, the government will place tough new legal duties on operators to minimise the visual impact of network equipment, particularly in protected areas such as national parks, conservation areas, world heritage sites and areas of outstanding natural beauty. 

All new ground-based masts will need to be approved by local authorities, which will continue to have a say on where they are placed and their appearance. In addition, Operators will still need to obtain agreement from the landowner before building any new infrastructure. 

The Telecommunications team at Carter Jonas can assist landowners in this regard, offering pragmatic, holistic and expert advice in a wide variety of telecoms-specific services. Cross-discipline collaboration within the firm gives us unique access to advice which reflects the primary purpose of the land or the client’s aspirations. Find out more >