{"id":777966,"date":"2025-03-11T10:39:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T10:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=777966"},"modified":"2025-03-11T11:21:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T11:21:19","slug":"six-changes-to-look-out-for-in-new-planning-and-infrastructure-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/six-changes-to-look-out-for-in-new-planning-and-infrastructure-bill","title":{"rendered":"Six changes to look out for in new Planning and Infrastructure Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

After months of consultations, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill<\/a> will be introduced in parliament today, promising \u2018seismic reforms\u2019 to streamline the planning system.<\/p>\n

The government insists the measures will \u2018speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding\u2019, as well as removing \u2018unnecessary blockers and challenges\u2019 to the delivery of major infrastructure projects like roads, railway lines and wind farms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The new legislation, Labour claims, will enable the building boom England needs to deliver its pledged 1.5 million homes and 150 major projects by ensuring \u2018shovels can be put in the ground more quickly and projects are freed from unnecessary bureaucracy\u2019.<\/p>\n

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, said the bill would lift the \u2018bureaucratic burden\u2019 which is holding back development and<\/span> \u2018unleash seismic reforms to help builders get shovels in the ground quicker to build more homes\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She added: \u2018These reforms are at the heart of our Plan for Change, ensuring we are backing the builders, taking on the blockers, and delivering the homes and infrastructure this country so badly needs.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

RIBA president Muyiwa Oki described the bill as \u2018a welcome shot in the arm for the construction industry\u2019<\/span>, but warned that local planning departments would need to be adequately resourced to deliver the changes promised.<\/p>\n

The government has outlined the key measures which will be brought forward under the new legislation, which comes alongside wider planning reforms, including the new National Planning Policy Framework.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the top six changes to look out for:<\/p>\n

1 | Planning committees<\/h2>\n

A new national scheme of delegation will set out which types of planning applications should be determined by officers and which should go to committee.<\/p>\n

Controls will be put in place over the size of planning committees, banning \u2018large and unwieldy committees\u2019<\/span> to encourage good debate.<\/p>\n

Training will be made mandatory for planning committee members.<\/p>\n

Councils will be able to set their own planning fees to allow them to cover their costs, and the money will be reinvested back into the system, which is currently running at a \u00a3362 million deficit.<\/p>\n

2 | Nature restoration fund<\/h2>\n

A nature restoration fund<\/a> will be launched with the purpose of pooling contributions to fund larger environmental interventions. <\/span>Builders will be able to pay into the fund in order to waive environmental obligations on individual projects, allowing them to proceed immediately with construction. Labour says the fund will remove time-intensive and costly processes while wider action is taken to secure the environmental improvements we need.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3 | Strategic planning<\/h2>\n

The bill will introduce a system of \u2018strategic planning\u2019<\/span> across England. A series of \u2018spatial development strategies\u2019<\/span> will be produced for various areas spanning multiple local planning authorities, identifying the most sustainable areas to build. These plans will be produced by mayors or, in some cases, by local authorities. Labour says these wider-scale development plans will ensure there is \u2018a clear join-up between development needs and infrastructure requirements\u2019 across England.<\/span><\/p>\n

4 | National Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP)<\/h2>\n

A new NSIP regime will streamline consultation requirements for major infrastructure projects \u2013 such as windfarms, roads and railway lines \u2013 in order to deliver infrastructure projects faster.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure applications will be assessed against national policies, which will be updated at least every five years, to make sure the government\u2019s priorities are clear.<\/p>\n

Challenging\u00a0government decisions on major infrastructure projects will be much harder. The process will be overhauled so that \u2018meritless\u2019 cases only have one \u2013 rather than three \u2013 attempts at a legal challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Further changes to the Highways Act and the Transport and Works Act will reduce bureaucracy so transport projects can progress faster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5 | Development corporations<\/h2>\n

Development corporations \u2013 historically used to deliver post-war new towns and to handle developments of a scale too great for the private sector \u2013 will be strengthened with enhanced powers. Labour says these powers will allow the development bodies to deliver the vision for the next generation of new towns, making it easier to build 1.5 million homes alongside the required infrastructure for new large-scale development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6 | Compulsory purchase reform<\/h2>\n

The compulsory purchase process allows land to be acquired for projects that are in the public interest, for example when an ‘acquiring authority’ such as a council purchases land for affordable housebuilding. This process will be streamlined and tilted in the public interest<\/span>. The reforms will ensure compensation paid to landowners is not excessive, and that the process of using directions to remove \u2018hope value\u2019 \u2013 the value attributed to the prospect of planning permission being granted for alternative development \u2013 is sped up if public interest justifies it. Where there are no objections, inspectors, councils or mayors\u00a0 will take decisions rather than the secretary of state. <\/span><\/p>\n

Other changes to look out for:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Clean energy <\/strong>Projects to deliver clean power \u2013 including wind and solar power \u2013<\/span> will be prioritised for grid connections.<\/li>\n
  • Bill discounts<\/strong>\u00a0People living within 500m of new pylons across Great Britain will get money off their electricity bills \u2013 up to \u00a32,500 over 10 years.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Electric vehicle (EV) charging<\/strong>\u00a0The process to install EV charging infrastructure will be streamlined.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Long duration electricity storage (LDES)<\/strong> A new scheme will \u2018unlock billions of pounds of investment\u2019 in renewable power storage and major LDES schemes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Offshore wind farms<\/strong> The number of offshore wind farms requiring exemptions when applying for licences to connect to onshore cables and substations will be reduced.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Forestry authorities renewables<\/strong> Forestry authorities in England and Wales, including the Forestry Commission, will be able to bring forward development proposals to generate and sell renewable energy on the land they manage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n

    Comment: RIBA president Muyiwa Oki<\/h2>\n

    This is a welcome shot in the arm for the construction industry. To ensure the much-needed high-quality housing and infrastructure, urgent action is required.<\/p>\n

    However, to deliver the seismic changes proposed, local planning departments will need to be adequately resourced and supported with the right people, skills and design expertise they need.<\/p>\n

    \u2018Planning departments will need to be adequately resourced\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    We look forward to examining the bill and working with the government to ensure we create well-designed homes and places that meet the needs for communities to thrive.<\/p>\n

    The bill signifies a step in the right direction to speeding up the planning system. What\u2019s not in question is the desperate need to build quality homes and vibrant places up and down the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    After months of consultations, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be introduced in parliament today, promising \u2018seismic reforms\u2019 to streamline the planning system. The government insists the measures will \u2018speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding\u2019, as well as removing \u2018unnecessary blockers and challenges\u2019 to the delivery of major infrastructure projects like roads, railway lines …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138919,"featured_media":778085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[681],"tags":[101091,1489,77028,6194],"yoast_head":"\nSix changes to look out for in new Planning and Infrastructure Bill<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The government\u2019s highly anticipated Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be introduced to Parliament today (11 March). 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