Cliff Notes
- The government is set to introduce the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, aimed at enacting “seismic reforms” to expedite the planning process and facilitate the construction of 1.5 million homes before the 2029 election.
- Key proposals in the bill include simplifying the planning application process, allowing reduced energy bills for residents living near new electricity pylons, and altering developer environmental obligations.
- Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has asserted that the reforms will promote a major building boom, streamlining bureaucratic hurdles to enhance infrastructure and transport links while boosting clean energy initiatives.
- The bill proposes to shift more planning decisions from elected councillors to planning officers and reduce the size of council planning committees, which could lead to less democratic oversight in some planning applications.
- A new nature restoration fund will be established for developers to contribute to larger environmental projects instead of single-site initiatives, with a focus on avoiding costly requirements from previous projects.
Seismic planning system reforms to be ‘unleashed, ‘ government promises
The government has promised to “unleash seismic reforms” to the planning system under major new legislation being published on Tuesday.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is expected to include wide-ranging changes to help deliver on Labour’s promise to build 1.5 million homes and make decisions on 150 major infrastructure projects by the next election in 2029.
Reforms include making the planning process easier, giving communities living near new electricity pylons money off their energy bills and changing the way developers meet environmental obligations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said the government would create “the biggest building boom in a generation” by “lifting the bureaucratic burden which has been holding back developments for too long”.
She added: “The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will unleash seismic reforms to help builders get shovels in the ground quicker to build more homes, and the vital infrastructure we need to improve transport links and make Britain a clean energy superpower to protect billpayers.”
The bill is expected to include plans to allow more planning applications to be decided by planning officers instead of elected councillors, with council planning committees to be made smaller to “ensure good debate is encouraged”.
Planning fees will also be allowed to be set by councils to recover their costs, and “meritless” legal challenges to major applications will face a crackdown.
Nature restoration fund
A new nature restoration fund will be introduced to allow developers to pay into larger environmental projects instead of funding single-site initiatives.
The government is hoping to avoid a repeat of the £100m “bat tunnel” HS2 was required to build.
‘Hundreds of pounds off energy bills for some’
And for those living near new electricity pylons, they will get up to £250 a year off energy bills for 10 years, as well as community projects such as leisure facilities to encourage communities to host major infrastructure.
Other consumers are likely to fund this through higher energy bills, however, the government expects this will only increase bills by a few pence per household when spread across the UK.