Planning and Infrastructure Bill receives Royal Assent with government promise to modernise planning committees

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said key changes in the Act include:      

• A new Nature Restoration Fund that 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”.    
• Limits to 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.       

The MHCLG said the Act would “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.”  

Ministers will set out “in the coming weeks and months” when the remaining reforms in the legislation will come into effect.

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.”

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.

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