Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) expects to engage with NSIP promoters in the early stages of their project development to allow for proper understanding, minimisation, mitigation and compensation for adverse impacts.
HDC expects all NSIP developers in Huntingdonshire to enter into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA). A fair PPA ensures full engagement, including improving NSIP proposals so they can be more acceptable to local communities and reducing areas of disagreement to be considered during examination.
If a fair PPA is not in place, there is the risk of reduced engagement with HDC. This may result in limited engagement with the promoter in terms of guidance and sharing local knowledge to resolve issues, HDC not being able to offer technical expertise in hearings, making them less effective and scaling back participation in examination.
Summary of key principles for NSIP PPAs with HDC:
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Full cost recovery
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Covering all stages, from project inception and initial discussions to discharge requirements and ongoing monitoring, including the Examination in Public
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Commitment to service level agreements
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Mutually beneficial “without prejudice” engagement between HDC and promoter
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Arrangements that give sufficient certainty and confidence for investment by HDC
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Simple and unbureaucratic way of recording and recharging levels of engagement, with agreed fixed sum regular payments
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Index linked and with Value Added Tax (VAT) charge.
HDC expects that any PPA for NSIPs will adhere to the above principles and welcomes discussions with project promoters on how these principles can be best met for individual projects and the service levels the promoter expects in return.