The government's landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill has received Royal Assent today.
- Planning and Infrastructure Bill receives Royal Assent today, slashing delays and costs to get homes and critical infrastructure built faster
- Sweeping measures will accelerate reservoirs and prioritise electricity connections to drive growth, create high-paying jobs, and bolster homegrown clean energy
- New law at the heart of government plans to build 1.5 million homes and meet 150 decisions target on major infrastructure
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.
