GDF Siting Relaunch in November? Returning from Summer Recess there is talk, apparently as much in expectation as in hope, that RWM will be freed to relaunch the GDF siting process this autumn. BEIS are understandably non-commital about the prospect. Nobody in Whitehall can be certain of anything as we enter the potentially most chaotic six months in British Parliamentary history. But the Brexit debate may actually help speed GDF policy decisions. If it does, and the siting process is relaunched, it then begs the question of what that launch looks like. And is RWM ready? The hope is that with the National Policy Statement approved by Parliament, Ministers could take early decisions on the Working With Communities policy and permit RWM to at least start the long process of identifying a site. However, if RWM is empowered to relaunch the siting process, don’t expect a flurry of initial activity. The GDF is about taking a 30-year look out into the future, at a time the country doesn’t currently have a clear 30-week outlook. It’s hard to imagine a community wanting to discuss its long-term future when the national short-term future is so uncertain.
GDF Watch 30th Sept 2018 read more »