Business leaders in Lincolnshire have welcomed the Government's announcement on energy infrastructure.

"Planning delays to large infrastructure projects are damaging to competitiveness and to economic prosperity. The failure to take prompt decisions has condemned the UK to prolonged reliance on inadequate facilities, while the associated uncertainty has blighted other attempts to improve the state of the energy and transport infrastructure. The result is the overcrowding on the transport network and the threat to our energy security that we face today. The establishment of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and the consultations on today's national policy statements are important steps towards reducing these costly delays while preserving the democratic accountability that is properly part of the planning process. Now that the new regime is getting under way, it is important that nothing should be done to hinder the IPC's ability to deliver quicker decisions on key infrastructure projects," said Tony Maoine, chairman of the Lincolnshire branch of the Institute of Directors.

"Smaller scale schemes, including many wind farms, cannot be left to suffer continued planning delays just because they fall below the thresholds for scrutiny by the IPC. The Government's proposed reforms to the local planning system must be implemented as quickly as possible," he added.