Guide
Developments of National Significance (DNS) in Wales
If you are proposing a large infrastructure development in Wales, it may qualify as a Development of National Significance (DNS). DNS applications are decided by Welsh Ministers, not your local planning authority. The process is different from a standard planning application and involves examination by a planning inspector from Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).
This guide explains when the DNS regime applies, how to submit an application, and what to expect during the process.
When to use the DNS route
Your development must meet the criteria in the Developments of National Significance (Specified Criteria and Prescribed Secondary Consents) (Wales) Regulations 2016 (as amended 2019). The most common categories are:
- Onshore energy generation: 10MW to 350MW capacity (including all onshore wind above 10MW)
- Waste infrastructure: Meeting specified capacity thresholds
- Minerals extraction: Meeting specified area or output thresholds
- Water and wastewater: Meeting specified capacity thresholds
- Transport infrastructure: Meeting specified scale thresholds
Below 10MW for energy (or below other category thresholds), the application goes to your local planning authority. Above 350MW for energy, the project enters the UK-wide NSIP regime.
Timelines
There is no statutory determination period for DNS applications, but the Welsh Government aims for decisions within 12 months of submission. Complex projects involving public inquiry may take longer.
Pre-application consultation must run for a minimum period as set out in the regulations — allow at least 6 weeks for community consultation before submitting.
Secondary consents
A significant advantage of the DNS route is that certain secondary consents (such as listed building consent or hazardous substances consent) can be included in the DNS application rather than applied for separately. This reduces the number of parallel applications you need to make.
What if you are refused?
There is no right of appeal against a DNS decision by Welsh Ministers. If your application is refused, you would need to submit a fresh application or challenge the decision by judicial review on legal grounds only.