Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024

1. Introduction

2. Summary and Background

3. Commentary on Sections

   1. Part 1 – Significant infrastructure project

      1. Key term

         1. Section 1 – Meaning of “significant infrastructure project”

      2. Energy

         1. Section 2 – Electricity infrastructure

         2. Section 3 – Liquified natural gas facilities

         3. Section 4 – Gas reception facilities

         4. Section 5 – Hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas and coal gasification

         5. Section 6 – Open cast coal mining

      3. Transport

         1. Section 7 – Highways

         2. Section 8 – Railways

         3. Section 9 – Rail freight interchanges

         4. Section 10 – Harbour facilities

         5. Section 11 – Airports

      4. Water

         1. Section 12 – Dams and reservoirs

         2. Section 13 – Transfer of water resources

      5. Waste water

         1. Section 14 – Waste water treatment plants

      6. Waste

         1. Section 15 – Hazardous waste facilities

         2. Section 16 – Radioactive waste geological disposal facilities

      7. Power to amend

         1. Section 17 – Power to add, vary or remove projects

      8. Interpretation

         1. Section 18 – Cross-border projects

   2. Part 2 – Requirement for infrastructure consent

      1. The requirement

         1. Section 19 – Requirement for infrastructure consent

         2. Section 20 – Effect of requirement for infrastructure consent

      2. Powers to change the requirement or its effect

         1. Section 21 – Power to add or remove types of consent

         2. Section 22 – Directions specifying development as a significant infrastructure project

         3. Section 23 – Directions for applications to be treated as applications for infrastructure consent

         4. Section 24 – Directions specifying that development is not a significant infrastructure project

         5. Section 25 – Directions under section 22 to 24: general provision

         6. Section 26 – Directions under section 22: regulations about procedure

   3. Part 3 – Applying for infrastructure consent

      1. Assistance for applicants

         1. Section 27 – Provision of pre-application services

         2. Section 28 – Obtaining information about interests in land

      2. Pre-application procedure

         1. Section 29 – Notification of proposed application

         2. Section 30 – Pre-application consultation and publicity

      3. Application procedure

         1. Section 31 – Change in the person who proposes to apply for infrastructure consent

         2. Section 33 – Deciding on the validity of an application and notifying the applicant

         3. Section 34 – Notice of accepted applications and publicity

         4. Section 35 – Regulations about notices and publicity

         5. Section 36 – Local impact reports

         6. Section 37 – Marine impact reports

         7. Section 38 – Notice of persons interested in land to which compulsory acquisition request relates

         8. Section 39 – Consultation post-application in relation to compulsory acquisition

   4. Part 4 – Examining applications

      1. Appointing an examining authority

         1. Section 40 – Appointing an examining authority

      2. Examining applications

         1. Section 41 – Examining authority to examine applications

         2. Section 42 – Choice of inquiry, hearing or written procedure

         3. Section 43 – Open-floor hearings

         4. Section 44 – Examination procedure

         5. Section 45 – Power to enter land in connection with examination

         6. Section 46 – Power to enter Crown land in connection with examination

         7. Section 47 – Power of examining authority to hold local inquiry

         8. Section 48 – Access to evidence at inquiry

         9. Section 49 – Payment of appointed representative where access to evidence restricted

         10. Section 50 – Assessors

         11. Section 51 – Legal assistance

         12. Section 52 – Reports by examining authority

         13. Section 53 – Power to direct further examination

         14. Section 54 – Orders relating to costs of parties on examination proceedings

   5. Part 5 – Deciding applications for infrastructure consent

      1. Decision maker

         1. Section 55 – Functions of deciding applications

      2. Statutory policies and other relevant matters

         1. Section 56 – Deciding applications: general considerations

         2. Section 57 – Duty to have regard to specific matters when making decisions on applications

         3. Section 58 – Matters that may be disregarded when making decisions on applications

      3. Timetable

         1. Section 59 – Timetable for deciding application for infrastructure consent

      4. The decision

         1. Section 60 – Grant or refusal of infrastructure consent

         2. Section 61 – Development for which infrastructure consent may be granted

         3. Section 62 – Reasons for decision to grant or refuse infrastructure consent

   6. Part 6 – Infrastructure consent orders

      1. Provision in orders: general

         1. Section 63 – What may be included in an infrastructure consent order

      2. Provision in orders authorising compulsory acquisition

         1. Section 64 – Purpose for which compulsory acquisition may be authorised

         2. Section 65 – Land to which authorisation of compulsory acquisition can relate

         3. Section 66 – Application of compulsory acquisition provisions

         4. Section 67 – Compensation for compulsory acquisition

         5. Section 68 – Statutory undertakers’ land

         6. Section 69 – National Trust land

         7. Section 70 – Commons, open spaces etc: compulsory acquisition of land

         8. Section 71 – Commons, open spaces etc: compulsory acquisition of rights over land

         9. Section 72 – Notice of authorisation of compulsory acquisition

      3. Provision in orders: specific limitations and powers

         1. Section 73 – Public rights of way

         2. Section 74 – Power to override easements and other rights

         3. Section 75 – Extinguishment of rights, and removal of apparatus, of statutory undertakers etc.

         4. Section 76 – Crown land

         5. Section 77 – Operation of generating stations

         6. Section 78 – Keeping electric lines installed above ground

         7. Section 79 – Diversion of watercourses

         8. Section 80 – Highways

         9. Section 81 – Harbours

         10. Section 82 – Discharge of water

         11. Section 83 – Deemed consent under a marine licence

         12. Section 84 – Removing consent requirements and deeming consents

      4. Procedure for infrastructure consent orders

         1. Section 85 – Infrastructure consent orders: publication and procedure

      5. Changing and revoking infrastructure consent orders etc.

         1. Section 86 – Meaning of “decision documents” and “error”

         2. Section 87 – Power to correct errors in decision documents

         3. Section 88 – Correcting errors: regulations

      6. Making changes to, and revoking, infrastructure consent orders

         1. Section 89 – Definitions

         2. Section 90 – Power to change or revoke infrastructure consent orders

         3. Section 91 – Procedure: changing and revoking infrastructure consent orders

         4. Section 92 – Changing and revoking infrastructure consent orders: formalities

         5. Section 93 – Changing or revoking an infrastructure consent order: compensation

      7. Effect of infrastructure consent orders

         1. Section 94 – Duration of infrastructure consent order

         2. Section 95 – When development begins

         3. Section 96 – Legal challenges

         4. Section 97 – Benefit of infrastructure consent order

         5. Section 98 – Planning obligations

         6. Section 99 – Blighted land

         7. Section 100 – Nuisance: statutory authority

         8. Section 101 – Compensation in case where defence of statutory authority applies

      8. Interpretation

         1. Section 102 – Meaning of “land”

   7. Part 7 – Enforcement

      1. Offences

         1. Section 103 – Development without infrastructure consent

         2. Section 104 – Breach of terms of infrastructure consent order

         3. Section 105 – Time limits

         4. Section 106 – Powers to enter land for enforcement purposes

         5. Section 107 – Warrant to enter land

         6. Section 108 – Rights of entry: supplementary provisions

         7. Section 109 – Rights of entry: Crown land

         8. Section 110 – Marine enforcement powers

      2. Information notices

         1. Section 111 – Power to require information

         2. Section 112 – Offences of failing to comply with information notices

      3. Notices of unauthorised development

         1. Section 113 – Notice of unauthorised development

      4. Compliance with notices of unauthorised development

         1. Section 114 – Order to permit steps required by notice of unauthorised development

         2. Section 115 – Power to enter land and take steps required by notice of unauthorised development

         3. Section 116 – Recovery of costs of compliance with notice of unauthorised development

      5. Temporary stop notices

         1. Section 117 – Power to issue temporary stop notice

         2. Section 118 – Restrictions on power to issue temporary stop notice

         3. Section 119 – Duration etc. of temporary stop notice

         4. Section 120 – Offence of breaching temporary stop notice

         5. Section 121 – Compensation for loss due to notice

         6. Section 122 – Injunction to restrain prohibited activity

      6. General

         1. Section 123 – Meaning of “relevant planning authority”

   8. Part 8 – Supplementary functions

      1. Fees

         1. Section 124 – Fees for performance of infrastructure consent functions and services

      2. Right of entry

         1. Section 125 – Powers of entry to survey land

         2. Section 126 – Powers of entry to survey land: Crown Land

      3. Infrastructure policy statements

         1. Section 127 – Infrastructure policy statements

      4. Register of applications and pre-application services

         1. Section 128 – Register of applications and pre-application services

      5. Statutory consultees

         1. Section 129 – Power to consult and duty to respond to consultation

      6. Welsh Ministers’ directions

         1. Section 130 – Directions to public authorities

         2. Section 131 – Power to disapply requirements

      7. Regulations about Crown applications

         1. Section 132 – Applications by the Crown

   9. Part 9 – General provisions

      1. Development

         1. Section 133 – Meaning of “development”

      2. Crown land

         1. Section 134 – Crown land and “the appropriate Crown authority”

      3. Offences

         1. Section 135 – Offences by bodies corporate

      4. Giving notices and other documents

         1. Section 136 – Giving notices and other documents

         2. Section 137 – Giving notices etc. to persons occupying or with an interest in land

         3. Section 138 – Giving documents on the Crown

      5. General

         1. Section 139 – Duties to publish

         2. Section 140 – Regulations and orders: restrictions

         3. Section 141 – Regulations: procedure

         4. Section 142 – Directions: general

         5. Section 143 – General interpretation

         6. Section 144 – Power to make consequential and transitional provision etc.

         7. Section 145 – Consequential amendments and repeals

         8. Section 146 – Transitional and saving provision

         9. Section 147 – Coming into force

         10. Section 148 – Short title

   10. Schedule 1 – Provision relating to, or matters ancillary to, development

   11. Schedule 2 – Compensation for changing or revoking infrastructure consent orders

       1. Paragraph 1 – Changing or revoking an infrastructure consent order: compensation

       2. Paragraph 2 – Compensation for depreciation: introduction and key terms

       3. Paragraph 3 – Apportionment of compensation for depreciation and determination of disputes

       4. Paragraph 4 – Notice of compensation for depreciation

       5. Paragraph 5 – Development not to be carried out until compensation paid or secured

       6. Paragraph 6 – Amount recoverable by Welsh Ministers in respect of compensation

       7. Paragraph 7 – Payment etc. of amount recoverable

       8. Paragraph 8 – Recovery of compensation from acquiring authority on compulsory acquisition or sale

       9. Paragraph 9 – General provisions about compensation for depreciation

       10. Paragraph 10 – Determination of claims for compensation

   12. Schedule 3 – Consequential amendments and repeals

4. Record of Proceedings in Senedd Cymru