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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cumulative impact on rural and coastal communities of major infrastructure projects, such as offshore wind farms, battery storage plants, and solar farms; and what steps they are taking to alleviate any negative impact on communities.

Major infrastructure projects that go through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process are thoroughly considered and scrutinised on a case-by-case basis before any decision is taken on whether planning consent should or should not be granted. As part of this process, applicants are required to carry out environmental impact assessments to assess the impacts of any proposed development on the environment, and identify measures needed to mitigate negative environmental impacts. This includes consideration of cumulative impacts resulting from other projects and plans, where relevant.

Statutory consultees play a crucial role by providing assessment and feedback on applications to ensure a balance between a distinct number of needs, including environmental protections. The Examining Authority has a legal duty to test whether key environmental issues are being addressed during the examination phase. Further to this, the government has committed to introducing Biodiversity Net Gain for NSIPs, which will require these developments to have a positive impact on nature.

Through the Clean Power Action Plan, the government has made clear that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they will benefit from it. On 21 May, DESNZ published a consultation on proposals for mandatory community benefits for low carbon infrastructure and seeking views on shared ownership – this closes on 16 July 2025.