A group of business and professional leaders has welcomed the government's proposed Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), but has warned it must be given the resources it needs to do the job properly.

The leaders of the nine representative bodies have written to planning minister Yvette Cooper offering their support for the government's IPC proposals, outlined in the Planning White Paper.

The government intends to specify what transport, energy and waste infrastructure is needed and where in agreed National Policy Statements, formally set out by Parliament.

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The new commission – an independent body accountable to government – is being created to fast-track the planning process for these nationally significant infrastructure projects.

The group believes that the IPC provides an opportunity to move towards a more balanced and rational process, but is concerned that the new system should not be hampered by the difficulty of identifying and prioritising the key schemes of national importance – a failure of the existing planning system.

Provided this difficulty is overcome, the group is confident that the IPC will have the independence and authority to reach decisions in a fair but expeditious manner and be sensitive to local needs.

(SP)