The Infrastructure Act 2015
12 February 2015; majority of Act not in force until commenced by secondary legislation
Primarily England and Wales, limited in Scotland - energy / planning / wildlife
The Infrastructure Act 2015 enables significant changes to legislation. Additional powers are provided for the eradication of invasive non-native species. A right to use deep-level land for exploiting petroleum or deep geothermal energy is introduced. Levies may be raised from certain energy licences and residents and community groups are able to purchase a stake in local renewable electricity generation. The nationally significant infrastructure project regime is revised to support the appointment of examining authorities at an earlier stage. In England, off-site carbon abatement measures may be used to meet zero carbon emission standards for new dwellings.