Ministers move to axe early public consultation phase for infrastructure schemes

A requirement for communities to be consulted on major infrastructure projects before planning applications are submitted will be scrapped under proposed changes to flagship reforms.

The Government said the removal of “burdensome statutory consultation requirements” for roads, railways and wind farms will halve the current average two-year consultation period and bring major projects in line with requirements for housing developments.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner insisted “high standards” would not be compromised by the changes and said plans would still be “informed by community engagement”.

Currently, the Planning Act 2008 includes a statutory requirement to consult on the likely impact of a proposed nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) during the pre-application stage.

The process includes engagement with communities affected, statutory consultees and local authorities aimed at refining an application before it is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

In a written statement on Wednesday, housing minister Matthew Pennycook said: “The Government has concluded that these statutory requirements, absent from other planning regimes, including those used to determine applications for new housing, now serve to slow down projects and deter improvements to them – wholly contrary to their nominal purpose of producing better outcomes.”

Mr Pennycook added that “clear” evidence shows the current system’s performance has deteriorated sharply in recent years.

He cited figures showing consent for projects took on average 4.2 years to be secured in 2021, compared with 2.6 years in 2012.

The current pre-application requirements will be replaced by new statutory guidance under amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, with developers still expected to consult with the community to ensure projects “better reflect communities’ views”.

As well as the consultation process being brought in line with planning applications for major housing schemes, new statutory guidance would “allow changes to be made dynamically based on community feedback” to reduce delays.

As part of this new approach, developers would be able to adapt proposed schemes without restarting the process.

This could potentially save more than £1 billion for “industry and taxpayers” in this Parliament, Mr Pennycook said.

He added: “The Government is clear that removing these statutory requirements does not signify that pre-submission consultation and high-quality engagement is no longer important – such engagement and consultation will remain vital to delivering successful major infrastructure projects.

“However, the current system is not working for communities or developers.”

The Government said the reforms are also expected to bring in new private investment and boost efforts to build 1.5 million homes.

Ms Rayner said: “Critical national infrastructure is key to Britain’s future and security – so we can’t afford to have projects held up by tiresome requirements and uncertainty, caused by a system that is not working for communities or developers and holding back our true potential.

“We are strengthening the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make sure we can lead the world again with new roads, railways and energy infrastructure as part of the Plan for Change, whilst ensuring local people still have a say in our journey to get Britain building.”

Under the proposed changes, local authorities would be made aware of proposed applications so they can inform and advise on developments.

Wider reforms in the Bill aim to speed up planning decisions, remove “blockers” to major infrastructure and housing delivery, and support environmental goals.

A recent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility found the Government’s proposals for an updated national planning policy framework would drive housebuilding in the UK to its highest level in more than 40 years and boost the economy by £6.8 billion by 2029/30.

Responding to the announcement, Carl Trowell, president of strategic infrastructure at the National Grid, said: “We welcome the Government’s proposal today which will ensure that consultation and engagement can be more effective and targeted.

“This will accelerate the path to delivering critical infrastructure while continuing to ensure the views of local communities are heard.”

Sam Richards, chief executive of pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, said: “Too often consultation is a long and expensive box-ticking exercise.

“By slashing delays and encouraging real community engagement, the Government is backing growth, investment and the kind of national renewal we all want to see.”

However, the National Trust said it was “deeply concerned” about the proposals, warning that the removal of early consultation could cause environmental and economic harm.

Ingrid Samuel, director of historic environment at the trust, said: “Pre-application consultation is a critical foundation of the consents process for major infrastructure, allowing experts and local communities to spot problems and opportunities at an early stage and help shape and influence these complex, nationally important proposals.

“We are deeply concerned that its removal could lead to badly planned, costly projects that deliver poorly designed infrastructure, harming our economy as well as our landscapes, nature and heritage.

“In addition to this, the proposed changes are likely to mean that key issues are identified too late in the process, driving adversarial examinations and causing significant delays and frustrations. All of this will add up to a public loss of trust in the system and its outcomes.”