UK planning reforms cut infrastructure approval times and developer costs

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UK reforms cut infrastructure approval times

Highlights

UK reforms effective 24 July remove mandatory pre-application consultations for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, aiming to cut approval times and increase developer certainty.
Government has doubled approvals on major infrastructure projects to 41 since taking office; projects approved expected to create over 82,000 jobs and meet clean energy targets.
Reforms cover sectors beyond energy, with data centres now eligible for the NSIP regime, and local authorities enabled to set their own fees and access government funding for accelerated planning.

Approval overhaul for major projects

As reported by GOV.UK, reforms confirmed on Friday 3 July remove mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, a move the government says will shorten the planning process and improve certainty for developers.

Under the new approach, developers instead receive earlier technical support and advice from the Planning Inspectorate before submitting applications, while examinations are streamlined to focus on the most important issues. The Inspectorate says more than 80 prospective applicants have already used its new pre-application service.

The measures are being delivered through the Planning and Infrastructure Act and are set to come into effect on 24 July. The government also says onshore wind projects seeking permission through the Town and Country Planning Act are set to be freed from mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for the first time since 2015.

Ministers say the wider reforms are already affecting the system. Since taking office, the government has made 41 decisions on major infrastructure projects, including Mona Offshore Wind Farm, Gate Burton Energy Park and the Lower Thames Crossing, which it says is double the previous Parliament's tally at the same stage.

Economic and sector impact across the UK

Projects already approved are expected to create more than 82,000 jobs and generate enough clean energy each year to power millions of homes and businesses, according to the government. It says the faster pipeline keeps it on course to exceed its target of at least 150 major infrastructure decisions this Parliament.

The reforms also extend beyond energy and transport. Data centres can now opt into the NSIP regime, and ministers have already directed three proposals into that framework at Wapseys Wood in Buckinghamshire, Ampthill Road in Bedford, and New Barn Lane in Dartford.

Local authorities are being given more support to handle the faster project pipeline, including the ability to set their own fees to recover costs for NSIP-related work and access to funding through Round 3 of the Innovation and Capacity Fund. The government says it is assessing applications after the latest funding round closed.

The Planning Inspectorate says East West Rail is among the first projects to benefit from more structured pre-application support and a more targeted examination process. The government adds that examining authorities made 20 recommendations to ministers on NSIPs last year, up 18% from the previous year, while additional funding since 2024 has supported more inspector recruitment and wider planning capacity across the public sector.

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