It's the NSIPpies!

It was the Academy Awards ceremony last night. Surely the Planning Act regime deserves its own awards? Say hello to the nsippies!

Although no doubt in a couple of years' time this will have morphed into a red carpet, designer dress, celebrity-studded affair, for the moment we will have to console ourselves with a blog entry and some cheap plastic trinkets.

Because there haven't been any nsippies before, they cover the period 2010 to 2013.

Nsippy for shortest examination

The examination of each application made under the Planning Act 2008 must take no longer than six months (it can be extended - but we now know how unlikely that is). But what application has taken the shortest time to be examined?

And the winner is ... the Ipswich rail chord - 134 days.

Nsippy for longest to emerge from the Planning Act regime

The first time a project officially engages the Planning Act 2008 regime is when it consults on a Statement of Community Consultation, notifies the Planning Inspectorate that it is about to start pre-application consultation, or publishes a public notice in a national newspaper. A project leaves the Planning Act regime once any judicial reviews have been dealt with (not counting post-decision changes and enforcement). One project has stood head and shoulders above the rest for this award and the bookies had stopped offering odds on it long ago.

And the winner is ... Rookery South energy from waste - 1476 days since s48 notice published and still going!

Nsippy lifetime achievement award for breaking the most records

One project has broken so many records that it deserves an nsippy for lifetime achievement. Largest application, most host authorities, most questions, most examination documents, most hearings ... Can you guess what it is?

Yes, it's ... the Thames Tideway Tunnel

Nsippy for most unusual section 48 notice publication

This is one of the more esoteric categories, like best animated short, and may in fact not be repeated, but this project deserves an award for publishing its national newspaper notice in a strange place.

And the winner is ... the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm - the Observer colour supplement

Nsippy for shortest Rule 17 request deadline

This hotly contested category relates to requests for further information from examining authorities, which are given a deadline for a response. The are 'requests', but woe betide anyone who doesn't answer them. As the examination wears on, these deadlines tend to get shorter and shorter.

And the winner is ... A556 Knutsford to Bowdon - 'by return'

Nsippy for most obscure party with which a statement of common ground is requested

Examining authorities like nothing better than a statement of common ground or two - a document setting out what the applicant and another party agree on, although between you and me it is the matters that aren't agreed that are of the most interest, as these get whittled down as the examination unfolds and demonstrate progress being made.

And the winner is ... Hornsea offshore wind farm - for the Belgian fisheries organisation Rederscentrale

Nsippy for fewest round 1 questions

This award is for the least questionable application, well, that is no doubt the interpretation of the promoters. It is also likely to be a figure never to be bettered, given the trend for more and more questions - only two out of the last 12 have had fewer than 100.

And the winner is ... Hinkley Point C nuclear power station - with just 17

Nsippy for most international interest

This is the equivalent of best foreign-language film, possibly. It is well-known that the Irish National Trust An Taisce has challenged the Hinkley Point C decision for not having involved the consultation of the Irish government, but which application has involved the most foreign governments that were consulted? On only one application did three of the governments consulted respond.

And the winner is ... East Anglia Offshore Wind Farm (Project One) - Germany, Netherlands and Norway

Nsippy for most representations

It's not all about project promoters at the nsippy awards, though. Let's hear it for the tireless organisations who check applications for impacts and make representations. But which organisation has made representations on the most projects? Three organisations have stood out in this area: the Environment Agency, Natural England and Public Health England (formerly the Health Protection Agency), but one of these has just pipped the others.

And the winner is ... Natural England - with 31 representations on the first 40 projects

Nsippy for most inscrutable representation

The judges have been through all 18,282 relevant representations made so far - maybe - and have selected what they think is the most inscrutable one.

And the winner is ... Stafford Norton Bridge rail chord - representation 5

I would award nsippies to inspectors and case officers but that might appear to be influencing live applications (knowing what a coveted award this will turn out to be), so sorry, ladies and gents - you're all great.

So there you have it. I expect there will be some tears of sadness and joy at this blog entry, but once the champagne has been consumed and the balloons have deflated it is time to look forward to another year of triumph and tragedy that is the Planning Act 2008 regime.