Nationally significant infrastructure projects
Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are major developments relating to any of the following:
- energy
- transport
- water
- waste
These schemes follow a different agreement process under the Planning Act 2008, recognising their scale, complexity and national importance.
Our involvement with NSIPs
There are a number of NSIPs that either:
- are located in Buckinghamshire
- have an impact on Buckinghamshire
Although we do not make decisions on NSIPs, we play an important role in the process.
As part of the process, we:
- review and respond to proposals submitted under the Development Consent Order (DCO) process
- provide detailed local evidence on issues such as transport, environment, public rights of way and community impacts
- influence national planning policy and guidance by responding to consultations issued by Government departments, including the Department for Transport (DfT)
- work with applicants to ensure that the needs and concerns of Buckinghamshire's residents, businesses and communities are fully considered
View National Infrastructure Planning on GOV.UK to find out more about the process, projects and how to get involved in examinations.
Current NSIPs affecting Buckinghamshire
The following projects affect Buckinghamshire:
High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) is a government project to create high-speed rail links between London and the midlands.
It was designed to reduce journey times and expand capacity on the railways but has been scaled down due to increasing costs and other challenges.
HS2 will now run between London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street.
In Buckinghamshire, the HS2 route extends 60 km across the southern and north‑western parts of the county, including important infrastructures like the:
- Chiltern Tunnel
- Colne Valley Viaduct
- Wendover Dean Viaduct
- Small Dean Viaduct
- Thame Valley Viaducts
This is as well as a proposed maintenance depot at Calvert.
While we have limited powers over the project due to the HS2 Act 2017, we continue to monitor construction closely. Find out more about our involvement with HS2.
East West Rail is an ongoing NSIP that will re-establish a rail connection between Oxford and Cambridge through Buckinghamshire.
The Western Section (Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes) is built and testing has begun. Passenger services are due to start in 2026.
There is a proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport, including the construction of a new north‑west runway. The application is currently progressing through the planning system.
Although Heathrow is located outside Buckinghamshire, the scale of expansion means that the project has potential impacts on communities, the environment, and transport networks within the county.