The government has released a working paper that aims to speed up decision-making on major projects such as roads and power plants as part of its plan to drive growth.
Its proposed reforms aim “to deliver a faster, more certain, and less costly” critically important projects across the UK, says the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
The department, led by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, adds: “Upgrading the country’s major economic infrastructure – including our electricity networks and clean energy sources, roads, public transport links and water supplies – is essential to delivering basic services, growing the economy, supporting the UK’s transition to clean power by 2030, and enabling 1.5 million homes to be built over this parliament.”
The consultation, released on Sunday, comes ahead of the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be published in the spring.
The department says in board terms its legislation plans to:
- Review national policies in this area on a more regular basis to make it easier to update them
- Protect the role of consultation in the consenting process “but making it less burdensome”
- Support the delivery of infrastructure after it has been agreed
- Allow for “appropriate flexibility” in the process applied to projects where this is merited
- Strengthen statutory guidance “to ensure clarity over what is and is not required”
The department says it wants to improve the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime under which most major economic infrastructure has been delivered since 2010.
This system, which has approved around 130 projects, “gained an early reputation for delivering fair and timely consents” but “has deteriorated in recent years”.
In 2021 it took on average 4.2 years for a project to secure development consent, compared to 2.6 years in 2012.
The department’s proposed changes include:
- Ensuring that planners take into account the government’s wider infrastructure objectives
- Introducing “a new duty” on all parties to identify and narrow down any areas of disagreement during the pre-application stage
- Limiting community objections during a project’s pre-application stage
The department says the aims of these reforms is to “shift to a more strategic and outcomes-focused system”.
Landmark Information Group chief executive Simon Brown says: “The presentation of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in the spring will be a welcome step by the government to reach its ambitious targets and build toward economic growth.
“However, systemic barriers—such as fragmented processes, overburdened professionals, and limited information-sharing—still impede progress.
“By leveraging data more effectively, we can identify demand hotspots, streamline development, and ensure homes are built in the right locations, supported by the necessary infrastructure to foster thriving communities.”
