28 April 2025The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that, under changes to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, clean energy projects, public transport links, and other major infrastructure projects are set to be delivered on average at least a year faster.
Under the changes, statutory consultation requirements unique to major infrastructure projects will be scrapped, ‘cutting down the average two-year statutory pre-consultation period by half and paving the way for new roads, railways, and windfarms that will bolster the country’s connectivity and energy security.’
MHCLG has noted that recognising community voices will remain vital. As such, the government ‘will bring this process in line with planning applications for major housing schemes, and set out new statutory guidance to promote meaningful local engagement’, allowing changes to be made ‘dynamically based on community feedback, reducing delays and potentially saving over £1 billion for industry and taxpayers this Parliament.’
Access the latest updates on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill here.
