The government has announced pro-growth changes to the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill which include new measures to slash delays and get Britain building faster.

The new powers could stop councils rejecting planning permissions, tackle blockages in the courts, alongside plans to accelerate reservoirs, windfarms and large housing schemes.

The pro-growth package announced by the government this week will look at supporting the full potential of the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill – a key driver for growth to slash planning delays currently shackling the UK economy.

Housing Secretary, Steve Reed said:

“Britain’s potential has been shackled by governments unwilling to overhaul the stubborn planning system that has erected barriers to building at every turn. It is simply not true that nature has to lose for economic growth to succeed.

“Sluggish planning has real world consequences. Every new house blocked deprives a family of a home. Every infrastructure project that gets delayed blocks someone from a much-needed job. This will now end.”

If voted through, Ministers will get new powers to prevent applications being rejected by local councils while they consider using ‘call-in’ powers to decide whether or not they should be approved. Currently some 900 major housing schemes have been blocked in the past year alone.

The new proposed measures would greenlight faster construction of reservoirs and unlock new opportunities for housebuilding after more than 30 years without a new reservoir in the UK.

Under government plans builders will also receive a helping hand to stop planning permissions from being timed out on vital housing projects tied up in the courts, accelerating and unlocking stalled schemes so money can be better spent on getting spades in the ground rather than starting back at square one.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves commented:

“The outdated planning system has been gummed up by burdensome bureaucracy and held to ransom by blockers for too long.

“Our pro-growth planning bill shows we are serious about cutting red tape to get Britain building again, backing the builders not the blockers to speed up projects and show investors that we are a country that gets spades in the ground and our economy growing.”

If passed, each of the pro-growth changes will accelerate the government’s Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes, achieve clean power by 2030, raise living standards in every corner of the country and put more money back into working people’s pockets.

As the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill continues its way through Parliament and is set to become law this year, the wide-ranging package of measures announced this week include:

• Ministers will be able to issue ‘holding directions’ to stop councils refusing planning permission whilst they consider using their ‘call-in’ powers. Under existing rules, they can only issue these holds when council are set to approve applications. This will ensure Ministers can properly use their call-in powers where necessary to boost growth and build more homes.
• Speeding up the approvals for large reservoirs by enabling non-water sector companies to build reservoirs that are automatically considered as nationally significant infrastructure projects.
• Stopping planning permissions from being timed out for approved major housing schemes facing lengthy judicial reviews, building on existing measures to cut back meritless legal challenges for major infrastructure projects from three to one and slashing a year off the statutory pre-consultation period.
• Securing a win-win across land and sea by allowing the Nature Restoration Fund to support the delivery of marine development, securing better environmental outcomes for marine habitats whilst accelerating the construction of coastal projects.

John Foster, Chief Policy & Campaigns Officer at the CBI said:

“The CBI welcomes the latest amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as an important signal that the government wants to go further and faster in reforming our inefficient planning system.

“Action that cuts delays to planning processes and simplifies environmental approvals is critical to getting projects moving faster and unlocking the economic growth the country needs.

“Allowing ministers to act decisively on major applications, streamlining Natural England oversight, and broadening investment to key assets like reservoirs will unlock significant investment across the country.”

The government’s own analysis confirmed earlier this year that changes to get Britain building could benefit the economy by up to £7.5 billion over the next 10 years.

Vicky Evans, UKIMEA Cities, Planning and Design Leader, Arup, commented:

“Investing in critical infrastructure, such as housing, clean energy, and water security, is crucial to unlocking economic growth and building a sustainable, low-carbon future.

“The amendments put down by the government today are an important step forward in streamlining the planning system which will help significantly to speed up the delivery of water and energy infrastructure, and new homes.”

The landmark Bill is set to return to the House of Lords for its Report Stage on Monday 20 October.