By Martin Woodley MRTPI IHBC, Planning Consultant, CAD Architects
The King’s Speech on 17th July 2024 announced the legislative plans of the new Labour government and so provides an important preview of the changes we are likely to see affect planning and architecture in the UK in the near future.
As had previously been promised by the Labour party in their Manifesto, the King’s Speech focussed on planning reform to deliver high-quality infrastructure.
In the speech, the King said:
“My Ministers will get Britain building, including through planning reform, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing. They will also pursue sustainable growth by encouraging investment in industry, skills and new technologies.”
The King’s Speech promised planning reform to deliver high quality housing. In the Speech, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill was introduced, a significant legislative move aimed at accelerating the development of infrastructure and the construction of 1.5 million homes.
This bill, one of 40 legislative proposals, seeks to streamline the planning system, ensuring a faster and more efficient approval process for major projects.
Key Provisions of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Simplified Consent Process: The bill intends to simplify the consent process for significant infrastructure schemes, reducing the bureaucratic hurdles that currently delay project approvals. This change aims to expedite the initiation and completion of critical infrastructure developments.
Modernised Planning Committees: By modernising planning committees, the government hopes to increase the efficiency of application processing. This reform is expected to facilitate quicker decision-making, enabling faster project launches and may be a redefining of the role of elected members in planning decision-taking.
Compulsory Purchase Compensation: Reforming the rules for compulsory purchase compensation is another critical aspect. The new legislation aims to ensure that compensation to landowners is “fair but not excessive”, balancing the need for development with the rights of property owners.
This is particularly relevant for building affordable housing and essential infrastructure.
Unlocking Development Sites: The bill focuses on unlocking more sites for development by improving land assembly processes. This includes uniting separately owned parcels of land, which is anticipated to speed up housing construction and make homes more affordable.
Nature Recovery and Development Funding: The government plans to leverage development projects to fund nature recovery initiatives. This approach seeks to balance environmental conservation with the need for development, addressing both ecological and housing needs simultaneously.
Broader Impact and Scope
The majority of the Bill’s provisions will apply to England and Wales, with some measures extending to Scotland. This comprehensive approach underscores the government’s commitment to addressing housing shortages and infrastructure needs across the UK.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently announced plans to build 1.5 million new homes over five years, reinstating compulsory housebuilding targets for local councils. Reeves emphasized that the planning system reforms would facilitate building on less desirable green belt areas, referred to as the “grey belt” by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. This included releasing ‘grey belt’ land for development. This is all about the signalling. The reality is that grey belt land will be a relatively small proportion of the green belt. The Labour Government’s actual stated policy retains the preference for brownfield development but it is the signal to local authorities that the expectation is that they must ensure that sufficient land is released for development to accommodate the housing delivery targets.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said:
“Our work is urgent. There is no time to waste. We are hitting the ground running by bringing forward the laws we will need to rebuild our country for the long-term – and our ambitious, fully -costed agenda is the downpayment on that change.”
Conclusion
Labour’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill represents a bold step towards addressing the UK’s housing crisis and infrastructure needs. By streamlining the planning process, reforming compensation rules, and unlocking development sites, the government aims to accelerate construction and make housing more affordable. As the bill progresses, it will undoubtedly spark further debate on balancing development with environmental and local community concerns.
A separate Bill, the English Devolution Bill included some key measures related to planning, promising to give local leaders “enhanced powers over strategic planning, local transport networks, skills and employment support”. It also said they would introduce new powers and duties for local leaders to produce local growth plans.
There was no mention in the King’s Speech itself of steps to ease the acute resourcing constraints faced by many local planning authorities. However, we understand Government intends to provide additional resource to local planning authorities as a more practical measure to make the system work more efficiently and to ensure authorities are properly resourced with staff with the necessary skills and experience.
As independent Planning Consultants, we always aim to stay on top of the very latest developments related to planning, so that we can advise our clients accordingly and help them to achieve successful projects.
We hope that this top line summary of the King’s Speech in relation to UK Planning and Housebuilding may provide a useful insight for you.
For further information about how we can help you with your development project, please email us at info@cad-planning.co.uk