WIREDGOV

The government's landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill has received Royal Assent today.

Millions of working people and families are set to directly benefit from more homes, better transport links, and cleaner energy projects built quicker, thanks to seismic planning reforms becoming law today.     

The landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act will remove blockages and delays in the planning system, accelerating the construction of tens of thousands of new homes across every region. In addition, it will get dozens of new roads, railway lines, windfarms, and key critical infrastructure built quicker – all while securing a win-win for the environment and the economy.     

New powers in the Act that will come into force on Thursday 18 December will allow reservoirs to be built faster, enable a new scheme to slash energy bills for people living near pylons by up to £2,500, and support clean power projects being prioritised for grid connections to bolster Britain’s energy security.     

As a crucial pillar of the government’s growth mission, the Act will make Britain a more attractive place for business, opening the door to more investment opportunities in major infrastructure and housing schemes – while also supporting plans to achieve clean power by 2030, make 150 decisions on major infrastructure, and build 1.5 million homes.         

The significant pro-growth changes will see up to £7.5 billion injected into the UK economy over the next decade, create more opportunities for working people to step onto the housing ladder, unlock more well-paying jobs, pave the way for less congestion on roads, and protect pay packets from the rollercoaster of energy shocks.      

In the coming weeks and months, ministers will set out when the remaining reforms in the legislation will come into effect as the government steps up to the plate to go further and faster in getting Britain building.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:

“Britain’s growth has been held back by a sluggish planning system, slamming the brakes on building and standing in the way of fixing the housing crisis for good.       

“Today that changes. Our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act will tear down barriers to growth, and this means getting spades in the ground faster, unshackling projects stuck in planning limbo and crucially unlocking a win-win for the environment and the economy.     

“We’re ushering in a new era to build 1.5 million homes that will give families a secure roof over their head, alongside key infrastructure to create high-paying jobs and power our homes and businesses. That’s exactly the Britain I want to see so it’s time to get on with the job and build baby build.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:      

“We promised to grasp the nettle of planning reform – and we’re delivering. This landmark legislation ends years of dither and delay that has held back too many vital projects, like Lower Thames Crossing and Sizewell C.     

“And we’re not stopping there, this government will leave no stone unturned to get spades in the ground – building the homes families need and the infrastructure our economy needs to thrive.”

Water Minister Emma Hardy said:   

“Water security is critical for our economy, food, energy, housing, and environment. Yet even as shortages grow, we haven’t built a new reservoir in 30 years.   

“That’s why we’re cutting red tape and fast-tracking vital reservoirs. With £104 billion already secured for the water sector, our Water White Paper will deliver long-term reforms to get spades in the ground and infrastructure built.”

With the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act now set in stone, a wide range of measures will be brought forward at haste to speed up housebuilding and the delivery of critical infrastructure. Key changes in the Act include:      

• New Nature Restoration Fund will allow developers to get spades in the ground faster for multiple housing and infrastructure projects, with Natural England putting in place pro-nature measures at scale to restore natural habitats and wildlife.    

• Limiting the number of attempts at legal challenge against government decisions on major infrastructure projects, with only one attempt rather than three for cases deemed by the court as totally without merit.      

• Modernising planning committees to focus on the most significant developments rather than smaller projects, speeding up local decisions on new homes.      

• Extra powers for development corporations to speed up delivery of large-scale projects, including the next generation of new towns, with more affordable homes and public transport.        

• Simplifying the approval process for new EV chargers on public roads to save time and costs while supporting clean power.       

• Enabling electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years for communities hosting new pylons and transmission infrastructure.     

• Making it easier to acquire land for new homes, GP surgeries, and schools.       

Today, the government has also published an implementation plan setting out how the Nature Restoration Fund will work in practice and the timelines for the first Environmental Delivery Plans. The plan confirms the government will make cleaning up rivers by removing pollution at source a priority, along with streamlining processes for developers.     

This marks a move away from the broken status quo that has blocked homes and infrastructure whilst doing nothing for nature’s recovery.    

Major infrastructure projects will also face fewer delays from burdensome pre-application statutory consultation requirements thanks to an overhaul of the pre-application period. Alongside other reforms, this will speed up major infrastructure projects by 12 months on average.       

The new Act doubles down on the Housing Secretary’s mantra to ‘build baby build’ more homes and infrastructure across the country, building on recent plans to accelerate development on land near well-connected train stations.                 

This follows the government’s unrelenting focus to make the planning system clearer, more predictable, and faster to build 1.5 million new homes, through the most significant rewrite of planning rules in more than a decade.

Further information

An overview of the measures contained within the Planning and Infrastructure Act can be found here.

Measures in the Act introduce new powers that come into force today. This includes:     

• Enabling non-water sector companies to build reservoirs that are automatically considered as nationally significant infrastructure projects, which will speed up the approvals for large reservoirs.
• Creating new regulations that would allow councils to set their own planning fees so they can cover their costs when deciding upon applications for new homes and infrastructure.
• Introducing a system of strategic planning (known as spatial development strategies) that will look across multiple local planning authorities for the most sustainable areas to build and ensure new infrastructure is also being planned for to support the delivery of new housing.
• Giving new powers to the Secretary of State to create a financial benefit scheme to provide discounts on electricity bills for people living within 500 metres of new pylons.
• Replacing the flawed ‘first come, first served’ process to a ‘first ready, first connected’ system to prioritise the right clean power projects for quicker connections to the grid.
• Integrating new projects that generate electricity from renewable sources into the Public Forest Estate and exporting power from these projects to the National Grid.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act received Royal Assent on Thursday 18 December.

CEO of ScottishPower, Keith Anderson said:

“Today’s Royal Assent is a positive step toward accelerating clean infrastructure projects and improving energy security. Our £24 billion investment plan is already under way, creating thousands of green jobs as we upgrade our electricity infrastructure, replace power lines that are almost a century old, and create capacity on the grid for more clean electricity. 

“Streamlining planning processes is vital as we go further and faster towards upgrading Britain’s infrastructure. So too is having the appetite and desire to drive growth through investment. We stand ready to work with Government to cut further barriers and deliver the green transition for communities across the UK.” 

CEO of East West Railway Company, David Hughes said: 

“The Planning and Infrastructure Act is good news for East West Rail as it should enable us to deliver the project more quickly whilst providing an important opportunity to engage with communities earlier in a more bespoke and tailored way as the railway moves towards its final design. 

“By working closely with Government, this more agile approach will support stronger decisions, foster confidence with stakeholders, and enable the benefits of East West Rail to be realised sooner and more effectively than under previous plans.” 

Chief Executive of National Highways, Nick Harris said:

“England’s motorways and major A roads are the backbone of the UK’s economy, keeping businesses, communities and supply chains connected. The Act will help streamline delivery of the transport infrastructure needed to unlock housing, support economic development, and connect people to opportunities across the country.” 

Chair of Berkeley Group, Rob Perrins said:

“This is another step forward for the Government’s growth agenda and a clear signal that ministers are tackling the barriers to housing delivery. It is now vital that these measures - alongside the other positive planning changes announced over recent weeks - are implemented quickly to provide the certainty and confidence needed to unlock investment.” 

CEO of Britain Remade, Sam Richards said:

“If we want to deliver growth, create jobs in every part of the country, and build the homes we desperately need, we have to address the chronic and deeply embedded problems in the planning system. The Planning and Infrastructure Act is an important step towards delivering the change needed. 

“Too often major infrastructure projects like new transport links, clean energy schemes and homes are delayed by being wrapped up in never ending consultations and judicial reviews. This law will change that by making it quicker, easier and cheaper to build what we need to grow our economy.” 

Head of Policy at RenewableUK, Steven Agnew said: 

“This landmark piece of legislation will help to streamline and speed up the planning process, removing unnecessary delays to vital new clean energy infrastructure and ensuring that only the most sustainable projects get built in the right places. 

“We’re particularly pleased with measures to provide better training for local planning authorities so that they can make well-informed decisions on applications to build renewable energy projects.  We also welcome changes to the Judicial Review process to ensure that legal challenges are fair and proportionate, and a smarter pre-application process for developers which will lead to better outcomes for local communities. 

Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, Kate Henderson said:

“At a time when the housing crisis continues to impact families up and down the country, it’s welcome to see the government push forward with its ambitious housebuilding agenda and to see the Planning and Infrastructure Act receive Royal Assent. With more than 170,000 children in temporary accommodation, it’s essential that we pull every lever to ramp up the delivery of truly affordable homes.  
 
“Planning reform is an essential part of solving the housing crisis, and we’re confident that the measures within this Act will unblock delays in the system and enable housing associations to deliver at scale and pace. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the government to deliver on a decade of renewal for social housing.” 

CEO of Vistry, Greg Fitzgerald said:

“We welcome the landmark passing of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill today. This is a significant step forward in streamlining planning processes, supporting development, and speeding up the delivery of critical infrastructure. As a partnerships-led housebuilder, Vistry looks forward to working with Government to accelerate housebuilding and contribute to delivering 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament.” 

CBI Chief Policy and Campaigns Officer, John Foster said: 

“Royal Assent for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is a major milestone in breaking the planning logjam that has held back growth for too long. Businesses have long called for a planning system that is faster, more predictable and strategic, and this legislation is a step forward in achieving that. 

The real test will be swift and effective implementation, so firms can get spades in the ground, housing built, and critical infrastructure delivered. Government should continue to work at pace with industry to turn ambition into action.” 

CEO of Barratt Redrow, David Thomas said:  

“The Planning and Infrastructure Act marks a significant step forward in the government’s planning reforms, which will help unlock and accelerate the delivery of much-needed homes across the country. 

“As a leading homebuilder committed to creating high quality, sustainable communities, we fully support efforts to provide greater certainty and speed in the planning system - helping more families get onto the housing ladder, creating jobs and boosting local economies. 

“With our own ambitious plans for growth, we look forward to working with national and local government to translate legislation into real progress on the ground, delivering the homes and infrastructure that meet the needs of growing communities.” 

Planning Director at the Home Builders Federation, Catherine Williams said:

“The enactment of the Planning and Infrastructure Act is an important milestone that has the potential to allow for swifter planning decisions. Building on other recent reforms, and in the right business environment, the legislation should help to pave the way for more investment in new homes and housing delivery.”