This video message is presented by Mark Southgate the former Director of Major Casework at the Planning Inspectorate.

The Planning Inspectorate has launched its prospectus for National Infrastructure.

The 2008 National Infrastructure regime is relatively new but has just had a review.

Generally, all the applicants who are using it and users find it a very helpful system but one of the areas they felt there could be improvement is on the Pre-application element.

Pre-application is a really important part of the process.

Basically, if applicants spend time working on consultation and environmental assessment of that stage, they are able to have a very structured and relatively speedy examination and decision-making process.

So, the prospectus is to help applicants through that, PINS can provide a structured approach.

We can provide advice around policy.

For those who are relatively new to the process, we can provide advice around how the system works, what you need to do and that’s all based on the experience of our most senior caseworkers who have been working with the system now for up to five years.

So, this prospectus is based on tried and tested policy and advice and we think we will be very helpful to developers but also to local authorities, statutory consultees and anybody who is getting involved in the process for the first time.

One final thing we can do is we can also act as facilitator for discussions with key bodies such as local authorities, statutory consultees and others where that’s helpful and that’s also part of our service.

Most importantly of all, the service is a free service so if you read the prospectus, you’ll be able to decide if that is a service for you.

It’s not compulsory but if you want to take it then we will be more than happy to discuss it with you and if necessary, agree a contact plan so we can this forward.