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Type
Networking

Joint NIPA & ICE: Design development and DCO consenting – panel discussion and networking

Event organised by ICE

Date
18 February 2025
Time
17:30 - 20:00 GMT
Location
Pinsent Masons
30 Crown Place
Earl Street
London, EC2A 4ES
United Kingdom

This event has now ended

Overview

Following the introduction of DCO’s within the Planning Act 2008, these orders have been helping to streamline the decision-making for NSIP’s, from energy and transport to water and waste treatment projects within the UK and NI.  

NIPA Early Years Practitioners (EYPs) has been launched to provide a special interest group within the NIPA membership for early years practitioners (up to 10 years’ qualification/experience) of all backgrounds in the infrastructure planning sphere to learn, network, and share experiences and ideas at a variety of events from panel discussions and debates to social events. This joint event with NIPA EYPs is aimed at practitioners in their first 10 years of practice and the panel speakers will be giving their perspective as early years practitioners. 

Our panel of speakers will cover the engineering, design, legal and planning considerations for design development and optioneering for major infrastructure projects that are being consented under the DCO regime. This includes the role of National Policy Statements, understanding the purpose of DCO application documentation – including the new ‘Design Approaches Documents’ – and practical challenges from planners and engineers of delivering a consentable design and securing flexibility for post consent changes. It will be an interesting session for anyone already involved in, or looking to get involved in, nationally significant infrastructure being consented under the DCO regime. 

After the panel discussion and Q&A, we look forward to meeting you for networking between like-minded ICE and NIPA members.

The panel discussion will be broadcast for those who wish to join online.

Programme

17:30 - 18:00

Registration

18:00 - 19:00

Panel discussion

19:00 - 20:00

Networking

20:00

Event close

Speaker

Olivia Henshall

Olivia Henshall

Pinsent Masons

associate

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Olivia Henshall

Olivia is a planning lawyer experienced in advising clients on all aspects of infrastructure planning across the water, energy and transport sectors. Olivia’s experience includes advising promoters and interested parties on the Planning Act 2008 regime, advising on judicial review legal challenges and advising on the Hybrid Bill and parliamentary process. In particular, Olivia has focused over the past few years on advising on design development and optioneering processes for the development of several major new water resources DCO projects, including on consideration of potential environmental impacts and mitigating consenting risk. Olivia is also the Secretary of NIPA EYPs, having been involved since it started in 2021.  

Alex Higgin

Alex Higgin

Quod

associate

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Alex Higgin

Alex is a Chartered Town Planner and an Associate in Quod’s Infrastructure team. She primarily focuses on consenting NSIPs via the Planning Act 2008, with particular specialisation in renewable energy projects including solar and offshore wind. Her experience spans from project inception to implementation. Alongside her consultancy work she has an in-house Planning and EIA Work Package Manager role at EDF Renewables, as part of their DCO programme.  

Kris Hindhaugh

Kris Hindhaugh

LDA Design

landscape architect

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Kris Hindhaugh

Kris is a Landscape Architect with recent experience in masterplanning and design leadership roles for nationally significant infrastructure projects. Having started out on more typical landscape scale projects, Kris progressed through masterplanning of largescale data centre and station projects into renewable energy and carbon capture DCO schemes in recent years. Kris’ experience includes working on a PINS pioneer project which included the new form of Design Approach Document, and promoting ‘Good Design’ processes from the outset evolving a structured, transparent and collaborative approach.

Marc Stewart

Marc Stewart

Associated British Ports

project manager

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Marc Stewart

Marc is a Project Manager is Associated British Port’s Major Projects team, responsible for leading the development of projects from inception through to securing consent. ABP’s current major projects portfolio includes a number of projects that have submitted Development Consent Orders or will seek to in future. Previous experience includes roles in geotechnical and civil engineering design and design management for ports, shipyard, and naval base projects in the UK, Middle East, and India.

Sophie Young

Sophie Young

Associated British Ports

consents & environment lead

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Sophie Young

Sophie leads the Consents and Environment function within Associated British Ports’ major projects division, is a member of the NIPA Council and brings a decade of practical experience working within multi-disciplinary capital project teams. Sophie’s experience spans all stages of the project lifecycle process and her accountabilities have included the production of multiple consent applications, leading a DCO examination and ensuring onsite consent compliance for a £300m major infrastructure project during construction.  

For more information please contact:

Kirsty Joyce