Today's entry is a roundup of current projects and a look
ahead.
In summary, since the regime came into force on 1 March 2010
there have been a lot fewer than the predicted number of
applications into the Planning Act sausage machine - just 15 so
far, and not a single project has yet emerged from it.
The most advanced project (although potentially about to be
overtaken) is Covanta Energy's Rookery South energy from waste
project proposed for Bedfordshire. The then Infrastructure
Planning Commission approved the application more than eight months
ago now, and since then it has been undergoing 'Special
Parliamentary Procedure' by virtue of a provision in the
Planning Act. The latest is that a committee of six peers and
MPs is to be convened to consider the five petitions against the
Development Consent Order (DCO) that have been allowed to go
forward. By the time they have done this and have reported on
it, I expect the leaves to be falling from the trees. It is
