Developments of national significance meaning

In this issue Equality and human rights Judicial review Information law International law Other public law news Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Equality and human rights Supreme Court rules on first Russia sanctions challenge (Shvidler v Foreign Secretary) The Supreme Court concluded, by a 4–1 majority, that the sanctions applied by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to Mr Shvidler, and, unanimously, that the actions taken by the Secretary of State for Transport against the yacht M/Y Phi owned by Dalston Projects, introduced immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were proportionate and lawful notwithstanding the recognised impact on the appellants’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. In a robust dissent, Lord Leggatt criticised the majority’s stance in Mr Shvidler’s appeal, holding that the measures against him, as a UK national, were disproportionate and thus unlawful. With...

In this issue: Housing Building regulations Developments of national significance/infrastructure consents in Wales Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Related Documents Housing MHCLG publishes policy paper on brownfield passports. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has released a policy paper on ‘brownfield passports’. It outlines plans to maximise clarity and certainty around making best use of urban land, with further changes to policy at national and/or local level covering the principle, scale and form of development in different locations. Framed as a ‘brownfield passport’, policy would set clear parameters for brownfield schemes which, if satisfied, act as accepted indicators of suitability, making approval the default and accelerating decisions. The passport is intended to reduce the risk, cost and uncertainty of obtaining planning permission. These proposals sit within the government’s ‘brownfield first’ approach to development. See: LNB News 23/09/2024 12. Building regulations Welsh Government publishes statement on building safety. A new...

In this issue Planning applications and decisions When planning permission is needed Nationally significant infrastructure projects Flood risk and development Buildings and building regulations LexTalk®Planning: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Related Documents Planning applications and decisions Development Procedure (Consultees) (Wales) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025 SI 2025/400: This instrument modifies the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012, SI 2012/801, and the Developments of National Significance (Procedure) (Wales) Order 2016, SI 2016/55. The changes concern pre-application consultation and consultation ahead of granting planning permission. It takes effect on 21 April 2025. See: LNB News 01/04/2025 6. When planning permission is needed Court of Appeal rules EMF impact as material consideration in telecom development prior approval (Thomas v Cheltenham Borough Council). The Court of Appeal concluded that the potential effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) arising from a proposed electronic communications scheme may properly be...

A conversation with Diana Lupu, associate, at GRATA International on key issues on FDI control in Moldova 1. What is the applicable legislation? The principal statute regulating control of foreign direct investment (FDI) is Law No. 174/2021 on the mechanism for examining investments of significance for state security. It sets the conditions under which investors may undertake investment activities in areas considered important to state security, and defines the means of state oversight to bolster the transparency of such investments. 2. Which government or other body (or bodies) reviews foreign investments? The Council for the Promotion of National Importance Investment Projects (the Council), created by Government Decision No. 585/2016, is the body that assesses investment projects of national security significance, and is responsible for promoting, monitoring and evaluating these projects. 3. What is the scope of the foreign investment regime? Is it limited to particular sectors or investor categories (e.g. foreign or...

The Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (I(W)A 2024) introduces a single, coherent consenting route for particular infrastructure schemes in Wales and in Welsh waters. For any ‘significant infrastructure project’ (SIP) that exceeds specified thresholds in defined sectors, developers must secure infrastructure consent through an infrastructure consent order (ICO). An ICO is designed to wrap together the complete set of authorisations needed so that the development can proceed... Energy Transport Waste Water Gas Before I(W)A 2024: Developments of National Significance The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 amended the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990) to introduce ‘developments of national significance’ (DNSs). This created an expedited route to planning permission, with applications sent straight to the Welsh Ministers, rather than considered by local planning authorities. The DNS process is administered by the Planning Inspectorate Wales (PINS Wales) on the Welsh Ministers’ behalf. See Practice Note: Permission for Developments of National Significance in Wales. However, the DNS framework does not include the...

Note— to verify whether notification thresholds in Serbia and across the globe are satisfied, please refer to Where to Notify. 1. Have there been any recent developments regarding the Serbian merger control regime and are any updates/developments expected in the coming year? Also, are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues or points of interest regarding the Serbian merger control regime? Stronger enforcement is anticipated, as the President of the Commission for Protection of Competition has delivered several public statements pointing clearly in that direction. In the area of merger control, the overall level of work carried out by the Commission for Protection of Competition (the Competition Commission) has grown during the past year, with a visible uptick in activity. Beyond announcing the planned adoption of a series of by-laws, the authority has been engaged in preparing the draft of the new Law on Protection of Competition 2009 (as amended) (Competition Law 2009), while also performing dawn-raids and issuing a number of unprecedented decisions. Alongside these measures, the...