Yesterday, the bill finally received Royal Assent, with the government heralding it as being able to slash approval times and remove barriers
The government and its 1.5m new homes target can now truly be put to the test with the Planning and Infrastructure Bill entering into law yesterday, 18 December.
The law targets housing and infrastructure, including roads, railway lines, windfarms, and other key infrastructure.
The bill also claims to slash bills for residents near infrastructure
A new scheme under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will allow residents near energy pylons to have their energy bills lowered by up to £2,500, as well as supporting clean energy projects for grid connections in supporting the UK’s net zero energy targets.
Using the act, the UK is now aiming to make 150 decisions on major infrastructure, build 1.5m new homes by the end of the current parliament, and achieve clean power by 2030.
Housing secretary, Steve Reed, said: “Britain’s growth has been held back by a sluggish planning system, slamming the brakes on building and standing in the way of fixing the housing crisis for good.
“Today that changes. Our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act will tear down barriers to growth, and this means getting spades in the ground faster, unshackling projects stuck in planning limbo and crucially unlocking a win-win for the environment and the economy.
“We’re ushering in a new era to build 1.5m homes that will give families a secure roof over their head, alongside key infrastructure to create high-paying jobs and power our homes and businesses. That’s exactly the Britain I want to see so it’s time to get on with the job and build baby build.”
Too little too late? Industry reacts to the bill becoming law
Some reactions to the assent of the bill below:
Elle Cass, head of strategic built environment growth at SLR Consulting and the incoming 2026 chair of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI):
“Combined with the NPPF news this week, the Royal Assent of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill shows that government is listening and making meaningful changes to speed up the delivery of homes, infrastructure and energy projects, a clear example of democracy in action.
“For too long, planning delays have held back not just housing but also the infrastructure that underpins economic growth and the delivery of critical services. By streamlining processes for reservoirs, clean energy connections and strategic developments, this Bill has the potential to accelerate projects that will directly benefit communities and the environment alike.
“I’m particularly encouraged by the emphasis on ecology through the new Nature Restoration Fund. Restoring habitats and wildlife at scale while enabling development is a vital step toward balancing growth with environmental stewardship. Integrating nature recovery into infrastructure delivery is crucial if we are to meet net-zero and biodiversity goals.
“The Bill also presents an opportunity to rethink how industrial and logistics infrastructure is planned. As the engine room of the UK economy, logistics underpins everything from digital infrastructure to clean energy delivery. Embedding this sector more centrally in planning decisions will ensure projects are viable, investment-ready and delivered at pace, all while safeguarding ecological outcomes.
“Overall, this is a positive step forward. With clear implementation, strategic planning and continued engagement with industry, the UK can unlock sustainable growth, faster housing delivery and meaningful ecological restoration simultaneously.”
Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark:
“While we welcome the UK Government’s ambition to reform the planning system and make greater use of brownfield and ‘grey belt’ land to help deliver 1.5m new homes in England, meeting such a significant target before 2029 is becoming increasingly challenging.
“A substantial increase in housing supply is essential to help rebalance house prices over the longer term, particularly while demand for new homes remains high. However, without a sufficiently skilled workforce to deliver thousands of homes each day, the UK Government risks falling short of its target.
“Now that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has received Royal Assent, we look forward to seeing further clarity on how the necessary skills, capacity and supply chain will be put in place, alongside a realistic and deliverable timetable for bringing these homes forward.”
David Llewellyn, head of construction and infrastructure at Pagabo:
“This has been a long-awaited moment for the whole industry – and one that if things go as intended, could in the future mark a real turning point for development in the UK.
“Seeing the Planning and Infrastructure Bill now enter into law works towards breaking down those barriers and getting work underway quicker – particularly things like controlling the number of legal challenges that can delay major projects – is a potentially pivotal moment. And it comes at a time when it’s never been more important to develop infrastructure with a truly place-based approach that responds to local needs, supports economic growth, and improves quality of life in communities.
“Often with infrastructure projects, so much time is spent navigating planning processes and challenges that lots of other processes become condensed as a result. If there’s less time spent navigating those barriers, that’s time and resource freed up for the things that truly set a scheme up for success – procurement strategies, market and stakeholder engagement, early contractor involvement, robust design processes and all-important social value strategies. All of which deliver on that vision.
“Ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding as to whether the new measures do work towards accelerating these approvals and get projects underway – both from an infrastructure perspective and meeting homes targets.”
Ben Standing, partner in planning at UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson:
“Following hot on the heels of the wide-ranging reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) announced earlier this week, the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill today indicates the government is doubling down on its commitment to putting housebuilding at the centre of its economic growth mission.
“There’s a clear link between the legislative and policy instruments being used by government. While the latest NPPF reforms aim to unlock small and medium-sized plots for development via a suite of changes – including a new ‘medium’ category for sites, exemptions for smaller sites from biodiversity net gain regulations and new benchmark land values – much of the focus of the Planning and Infrastructure Act is on large-scale developments.
“This includes streamlining consultations for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), bolstering development corporations to deliver large-scale new towns and communities, and implementing greater compulsory purchase order powers for critical infrastructure such as houses, schools and hospitals.
“Replicating spatial development strategies that are already established in London across the English regions is designed to facilitate a joined-up approach across multiple local authorities to identify the most suitable places to build houses and associated infrastructure.
“To help meet its 1.5m homes target this parliament, the government wants to simplify a fragmented decision-making process within local authorities, embedding consistency on a national basis regarding who determines planning applications. This will make it easier for developers to understand how their applications will be handled.
“It’s important, however, that government considers the impact of new housing on local communities. With the discourse often around which areas carry the ‘burden’ of new housing, planning reform should be complemented by a dedicated drive to meaningfully engage communities so the benefits of development are shared by everyone.
“While electricity bill discounts for communities hosting new energy infrastructure are a step in the right direction, the government should consider the establishment of citizen assemblies to ensure developments respond to community priorities, such as a lack of GP and school capacity, inadequate roads and railways, or underinvestment in leisure facilities.
“For developers, they will also want to see the government consider how to improve the viability of construction projects by tackling acute skills gaps, and rising costs of raw materials and borrowing, while addressing regulations and new taxes like the Building Safety Levy that continue to squeeze margins.”
Tim Seddon, CEO of Retirement Villages Group:
“With the Planning & Infrastructure Bill now law, we all hope to see a positive impact on planning approvals and the wider planning system. But the UK faces major barriers to building that go far beyond planning, including rising construction costs and skilled labour shortages across the housing sector.
“For the later living sector, in particular, the Government’s proposal to move to commonhold across all housing types poses a significant threat to the operating model of the integrated retirement community (IRC) sector. It would make it totally impractical to build and operate new communities in ways that meet the needs of our ageing population.
“If the Government is serious about tackling housing shortages, including for older people, leasehold reforms must recognise the capability and capacity of that cohort to deal with the complexities of later life. IRC operators, like RVG, have an essential role to play in addressing the UK’s wider housing supply challenge – encouraging downsizing, releasing equity to help solve pension pressures, while the quality of support and care offered to the residents has also been proven to deliver structural benefits to the NHS. Planning reform is a welcome first step, but it is not enough on its own to fix the UK’s housing problems.”
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