Will the Planning and Infrastructure Bill be the answer to the UK’s building prayers?
Sam Boyle, Senior Consultant13/03/2025
This week, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill was introduced in Parliament, legislation which has been pitched as the answer to get Britain building again and help solve the housing crisis.
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has said the Bill is crucial to delivering on their commitment to build 1.5 million homes, make the UK a clean energy superpower and increase living standards up and down the country by growing our stuttering economy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has written to local authority leaders and metro mayors across England to confirm the introduction of the Bill and outline the reforms. The reforms will include a faster and more certain consenting process for critical infrastructure including electricity networks and clean energy sources and public transport links, introducing a more strategic approach to nature recovery, and improving certainty and decision-making in the planning system.
Those reforms grabbing the most attention among stakeholders include giving communities living near new electricity pylons money off their energy bills, changing the way developers meet environmental obligations, and planning applications being decided by planning officers rather than elected councillors.
Councils will also be given greater power to seize land to build houses, a decision which has received criticism from rural groups who are concerned farmers could be forced to sell at reduced prices, particularly given the changes in inheritance tax introduced in the Autumn Budget which is already forcing landowners to consider their options.
The introduction of the legislation has been largely welcomed by industry and the reforms have been dubbed “sensible” and “well-considered”. Outlining the reforms is one thing, however now the government need to deliver on their building promises if it is to meet its ambitious targets.
The speed at which planning decisions are made is clearly one of the reasons why housebuilding and infrastructure development isn’t moving at the pace the country needs it to. However, we also know that there are 300,000 fewer construction workers now than in 2019 and an estimated half a million more are needed to simply meet the 300,000 new homes a year target set by the government. Solving the issue is going to require a robust skills system, led by the newly formed Skills England, to complement changes to the planning system.
Do you have concerns about the unintended consequences of this bill and its impact on your business organisations? Our team of policy specialists and government relations advisers would be happy to speak to you.
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