Planning proposals to unblock vital infrastructure and drive nature’s recovery
- 22 January 2025
Government unveils plans to streamline planning for major infrastructure projects and protect the environment.
The government has today (22 January 2025) published proposals to reform the planning system in England, with the aim of delivering vital infrastructure more quickly and driving nature’s recovery.
The proposals, set out in a consultation document, include:
- A new fast-track process for nationally significant infrastructure projects, such as new roads, railways and energy projects. This process would be designed to streamline the planning process and reduce delays.
- A new national planning policy framework (NPPF) that would set out the government’s priorities for planning and development. The NPPF would include a presumption in favour of sustainable development, and would set out clear rules on how to protect the environment and promote nature’s recovery.
- A new environmental impact assessment (EIA) process that would be more efficient and effective. The EIA process would be reformed to focus on the most important environmental impacts, and to ensure that decisions are made on the basis of sound evidence.
The government believes that these reforms will help to deliver the infrastructure that the country needs, while also protecting the environment and promoting nature’s recovery.
The consultation on the proposed reforms will run for 12 weeks. The government will then consider the responses to the consultation and publish a final set of proposals later this year.
Quotes
- The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, said:
“Our planning system is in desperate need of reform. It is too slow, too bureaucratic and too unpredictable. This is holding back the delivery of vital infrastructure and damaging our environment.
“The proposals we are publishing today will help to fix our broken planning system. They will streamline the process for nationally significant infrastructure projects, cut red tape and bureaucracy, and protect our environment.
“These reforms will help to deliver the infrastructure that the country needs, while also protecting the environment and promoting nature’s recovery.”
- The Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Stuart Andrew, said:
“The planning system is not working for anyone. It is too slow, too complex and too expensive. This is making it difficult to build the homes and infrastructure that we need, and it is damaging our environment.
“The reforms we are proposing today will help to fix our broken planning system. They will streamline the process, cut red tape and bureaucracy, and protect our environment.
“These reforms will help to deliver the homes and infrastructure that the country needs, while also protecting the environment and promoting nature’s recovery.”
Notes to editors
- The consultation document is available at: [link to consultation document]
- The consultation will run for 12 weeks. The deadline for responses is 12 April 2025.
- The government will then consider the responses to the consultation and publish a final set of proposals later this year.
Planning proposals to unblock vital infrastructure and drive nature’s recovery
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