Large infrastructure projects will be delivered on average at least one year faster, after the government’s dedication to speed up planning reforms.
Legal consultation requirements linked to large infrastructure projects will be deleted by changes to the planning and infrastructure account, which reduces the average legal pre-consultation period of two years by half and clears the road for new roads, railways and clean energy projects that are all useful for new housing projects.
A statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said that developers are currently spending too much time and money on long, technical documents that result in communities that feel tired and confused, a direct consequence of overly complex planning rules that deprive working people of the things that need their areas to thrive.
The recognition of community votes remain of vital importance, the government will bring the process for infrastructure into line with planning applications for important housing schemes and explain new legal guidelines to promote meaningful local involvement without repeating these defects.
The government insists that the reforms will also increase the efforts of the government to build 1.5 million houses by making it easier to deliver roads, reservoirs and energy generation that are needed to ‘restore the dream of homeowners throughout the country’.
Respond to the changes, Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:
“Critical national infrastructure is the key to the future and safety of Great Britain – so we cannot afford to have projects that are stopped by tiring requirements and uncertainty, caused by a system that does not work for communities or developers and stops our true potential.”