Planning and Infrastructure Bill 2025-03-24

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None of my constituents is saying, ‘We don’t need any more homes.’ They want the right to be consulted and for their voices to be heard through a local plan.

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What powers will be used in the Bill to take on developers and ensure that they build based on planning permissions?

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Will there be more EV charge points and will accessibility requirements meet standards?

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Will the Secretary of State take account of Gypsies and Travellers who have been systematically discriminated against by the Conservatives over 14 years?

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Will the Bill allow objections to major projects like a 90-foot-high converter station in Kent?

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Will constituents' voices be heard under the Bill in areas with multiple national strategic infrastructure projects?

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Could she explain the process for considering Heathrow expansion under the new legislation and why those affected by compulsory purchase will be removed as consultees?

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Does the Secretary of State agree that building more homes would help the 160,000 children stuck in temporary accommodation?

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Given the Government's target of building 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament, with nine months having passed since its start, how many homes have been built?

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Does she agree that it is not just about temporary accommodation but also about overcrowding, unsuitable accommodation, and risk of homelessness?

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Is the Bill careful about balancing local input while streamlining planning decisions?

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Can Rochdale’s Hopwood Hall college, known for its record in training construction workers, be included in the £600 million funding and 60,000 new apprenticeships?

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How can residents be reassured about infrastructure needs as more homes are built?

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Will hope value reductions apply not only to affordable housing but also to wider projects for community benefits such as playing fields?

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What can be done to enhance design codes so that design quality is not eroded?

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Can she assure that high-quality agricultural land will not be displaced for energy projects?

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I congratulate my right hon. Friend on a fantastic speech and a great piece of legislation that will turbocharge our plans to restore nature at scale and build the homes that we need. Will she say a little more about how the Bill could help us to restore our precious chalk streams, such as the River Pang in my constituency?

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It is reassuring to hear that the right hon. Lady is so passionate about restoring nature. How, then, can she explain the fact that planning permission, which the local council had refused, has been granted for a battery energy storage system on the green belt in Walsall?

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The problems caused by the previous Government’s failure to tackle nutrient neutrality mean that north Cumbria faces significant house building issues. I strongly welcome the Bill’s provisions on the nature restoration fund. Will the Department work with the local authority to develop mitigation schemes that will get house building going in north Cumbria in the interim?

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Reflect on the flaws in Help to Buy and stamp duty discounts, which helped some but many were priced out due to inflationary pressures and exorbitant bonuses paid to house building companies.

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Can the Minister give an assurance that the Conservatives will back swift bricks as a mandatory requirement in new builds?

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Does the Minister agree that more could be done to protect irreplaceable chalk stream habitats and designate them as irreplaceable?

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Does the Minister think there should be scope in this Bill to recognise the special status of protected landscapes—now called national landscapes or national parks—to ensure that development is appropriate?

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Does the Minister agree that having councillors’ right to insist on matters going to planning committees actually leads to applications being approved where pettifogging officers would refuse them?

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The removal of powers from councillors will only become apparent when residents see a green notice on nearby telegraph poles, contact their local councillor who no longer has the power to ask for applications to be considered by planning committees. This is removing layer after layer of protection for local communities.

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Would it not be better for this to be taken in its totality, excluding national parks from figures?

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Careful thought needs to be given to the transparency of decisions. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned consultation. Some local authorities count abstentions as a vote in favour while others do not, so will she consider introducing a standard process throughout the country?

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My right hon. Friend is making a very thorough speech, and has raised some interesting points about the nature of the system and how to speed up decision-making. She has just mentioned sites. Does she agree that it is important for us to free up brownfield sites in towns and cities?

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The ability to have a home of their own has crept out of reach of a whole generation, while for others, decent emergency accommodation cannot be found; in the last five years, temporary accommodation was named as a contributing factor in the deaths of 58 children under one year old—babies. We urgently need to provide more homes that are genuinely affordable to local people.

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There was not a greater cut in the affordable homes budget at any point between 2010 and 2024; the largest cut—nearly 70%—was under the coalition Government.

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I hesitate to try to help the hon. Gentleman with his answer, but might it be that the coalition Government were having difficulty building affordable houses in that period because the former Labour Chief Secretary to the Treasury had said there was no money left?

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In Sutton in 2023, I was a member of the planning committee that gave permission for the Victoria House site, which has lain dormant ever since. Permission was given for 74 homes, but they are not being built. It is a frustration for me every time I cycle past to see that potential not being realised. Does he agree that giving councils the power to take over sites that have permission but are not being built would be a really important part of delivering the homes that we need?

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On the point about not doing any harm to nature, would the hon. Member’s party support the water companies becoming statutory consultees so that we can ensure that, with any new housing, not a litre of extra sewage goes into our rivers?

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How does the hon. Gentleman square his support for getting more homes built and helping children who are living in temporary accommodation with his opposition to 250 new homes in his constituency, which he announced online just this month?

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Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the emphasis in the Bill on removing the powers of planning committees will, by default, lead the public to believe that planning committees throughout the years have actually been the problem? In reality, many planning committees have done their mandatory training and made the right decisions, and those decisions have been upheld by the Planning Inspectorate time and again. It should be put on the record for the public that planning committees, as a whole, are not the problem.

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South Leicestershire is a mid-sized constituency measuring 15 miles by 10 miles, and it already has some of the largest-scale developments in any part of our country. We have the second of the new Titan prisons, which was recently completed; one of the largest holes in the UK at Croft quarry; Bruntingthorpe aerodrome, which currently houses one of the largest UK car auction sites, with 25,000 cars coming in and out at any point; the 4,000-home development at New Lubbesthorpe; and the prospect of a new garden village at Whetstone Pastures. We are surrounded by logistics parks; in fact, we are home to one of Europe’s largest logistics parks—currently doubling in size—Magna Park. At what point can we say that we are doing a reasonable fair share for our county, region and country? There are no nimbys in South Leicestershire; we generally support appropriate development. I generally support the objectives in the Bill, but there are one or two areas I would like to raise, one being the highly controversial proposed development known as Lutterworth East.

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Does the Minister agree that where the public sector is selling off land and buildings, it should be allowed to sell below market value to enable more affordable housing and social housing?

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Does the Bill go far enough in protecting irreplaceable habitats such as chalk streams?

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Does the Minister agree that making water companies statutory consultees in any future developments will ensure provision of infrastructure to prevent pollution into chalk streams?

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Does the hon. Member agree with Greenpeace, the Green Alliance and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds that if development is done hand in hand with nature, both can thrive?

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Does the Minister recognise how important it is for young people to have a decent home surrounded by a decent community?

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The Minister was criticised for supporting Natural England's powers while opposing NHS England. He also questioned the impact of the Bill on land use, farmland security, and whether it undermines democratic oversight.

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Supports the Bill to address the housing crisis but emphasises the need for political will alongside national initiatives and investment. The national planning system is not fit for purpose.

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The hon. Member rightly speaks about ambition in speeding planning applications but asks if the proposed reduction of 56% and cutting 1,694 homes will speed up delivery for her local Labour council.

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The hon. Member confirms issues during the economic crisis but reiterates his concern about the 1,694 fewer homes her Government is proposing.

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The hon. Gentleman raises concerns about rural identity but draws parallels with Milton Keynes, highlighting opportunities that development can bring.

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My hon. Friend questions how vital green spaces can be protected amidst increasing pressure for development.

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Does my hon. Friend agree that that is why we need significantly more planning officers in our local authorities to ensure that we can unlock a lot of that development?

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Given the hon. Member’s expertise as a former council leader, would he agree that the provision in the Bill that enables councils to set fees for planning could go further, particularly around the fees that could be charged for enforcement cases?

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There are so many points to address in the Bill, but I will keep my remarks to just a few. I have grave concerns that the Government’s agreeable aim of freeing up our planning system will be dragged further by this Bill into the bog of planning delay and indecision.

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The hon. Member discusses the introduction of environmental development plans and argues that they effectively amount to a mercenary approach to environmental protection, giving developers more freedom in negotiations.

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My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Many aspects of the Bill will affect Scotland and make things much more difficult for local residents to oppose certain types of application, including those in my constituency who are fighting hard against a 94 km pylon route and battery storage plants.

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The hon. Gentleman was here in the last Parliament. Does he remember that, in their attempt to undo the problem of nutrient neutrality, the previous Government sought to disapply the habitats regulations entirely? Is that the approach that he would prefer we take?

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The Bill introduces vital changes to our planning frameworks, including improvements to how we deliver nationally significant infrastructure projects, reforms to compulsory purchase orders, and measures to boost local planning.

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The Bill is about speeding up planning processes, judicial reviews and the development of critical infrastructure. Although some elements of the Bill are positive, others risk undermining the long-term success of any development.

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Does the hon. Gentleman recall that when the Conservative leaders of the district council endorsed the unitary council, a poll was taken of the people of Somerset and they voted against it, but the Conservatives pushed it through?

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I welcome the Deputy Prime Minister’s decision to introduce powers to create a bill discount scheme to help households closest to new electricity transmission infrastructure. However, to be clear, the scheme is nowhere near enough...

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I put on record my strong support for the Bill... Net zero and nature are two sides of the same coin, and it would be a coin with no value if we had one without the other.

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How does she defend to her constituents the fact that under Ministers’ proposals, her housing targets will be uplifted by 82%?

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What are the Government doing to ensure that the 1.6 million homes with existing planning approval are built?

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Will this Bill work for Horsham, delivering affordable homes with correct environmental standards? It is based on flawed calculations of housing need that fail to deliver actual houses.

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As Government constructs 1.5 million houses, consider where to place them. The Bill loosens restrictions on house building but must also address the rural-urban divide and small-scale affordable housing in villages.

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How will the Government address the rural-urban divide, with housing targets increasing in Bromsgrove by 85% despite decreasing targets in Birmingham?

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I believe instinctively that residents across the country are not nimby, but I fear that successive Governments, including the previous Conservative one and the Labour one before that, have allowed mediocrity to reign. There is a lack of local distinctiveness in development, which causes an entrenched perception of nimbyism running throughout the country.

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It strikes me that the hon. Member is speaking a lot about building where young people live. One thing that concerns me as a fellow rural MP is that young people are increasingly forced out of our rural communities. Does he not recognise that we need to look at intelligent, targeted, moderate house building within those communities to preserve them for the future and preserve their demographic future?

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For 14 long years, growth in the United Kingdom stagnated with houses that were not built, roads that were not constructed, train lines promised and not delivered, energy and digital infrastructure not fit for current demands and a plodding planning system that has not kept pace with the needs of local communities. I welcome this Bill, as we can now see a pathway to a country where every family can access affordable housing, where businesses thrive with top-tier digital connectivity, and where transport networks support growth, rather than hinder it.

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My constituents and I know how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the United Kingdom. We need to see growth so that our young people can stay in their local communities, buy homes in the areas in which they have grown up, and continue to contribute to the local economy and keep Chichester thriving for generations to come; but the reality is that the planning system in my little patch of the country is not fit for purpose.

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I spent the last seven years of my career working in the social housing sector, so I should like to think that I have some understanding of the scale of the housing challenge, the mistakes made by previous Administrations, and why now is the time to be bold. We need this planning Bill to be bold, because at present we are witnessing a housing crisis in three acts.

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The MP questioned the government's promise of community involvement in new developments, citing rising housing targets in rural areas without adequate green-belt protections. He expressed concern over infrastructure delivery and highlighted existing challenges in his constituency like GP appointments, traffic congestion, and school placements.

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Did you declare your interest as a practising solicitor, for which privilege you were paid £7,500 this quarter?

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Shutting out communities from the planning process breeds resentment. Do you support giving Secretary of State sweeping powers to enable planning decisions to bypass planning committees?

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Does the Bill help local newspapers in their funding?

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Do you agree that there is a housing crisis and that we need to build more homes?

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The aspect of the Bill I would like to focus on is the nationally significant infrastructure project reform. This Labour Government claim that their reforms will make “targeted and impactful interventions to the consenting system,” but that will come as scant consolation to the local residents on the receiving end of the projects being foisted upon them...

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The Bill will allow us to invest in our communities, benefiting every part of the country and not just London. The planning system's default answer is no which leads to soaring costs for rent, rail fares, and energy bills. The Bill aims to change this by lifting constraints but can go further at pre-application stage.

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The regime needs to materially change such that properly consented, properly financed projects can get their connections approved. Will the final arbiter of any disputes over consents for generating stations and overhead lines be here in London? Can we have some reassurance that 2030 deliverable projects will be facilitated without delay by the ambition of clauses?

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The Bill reflects priorities committed to tackling housing crisis and driving regeneration, jobs, apprenticeships and investment while protecting green spaces. In Wolverhampton North East constituents know the importance of building more homes with 8000 residents on waiting list.

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Does my right hon. Friend not realise that, in addition to placemaking, this is about making sure that infrastructure is at the heart of any new development, so that those who move into new places have GP practices, doctors surgeries and other facilities available to them?

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On the changes proposed to the NSIP system and development consent orders, I will speak about the experience in my constituency because we have had DCO complete, have one ongoing and hope to have one in the future. I will start with the one that has finished, which is the Esso pipeline project. It ended up blocking access to homes and ripping up green spaces, with poor communication and no compensation to the residents affected.

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It is a pleasure to speak in support of this much-needed Bill to get Britain building infrastructure again. Dartford—the constituency I have the privilege to represent in this place—can serve as a poster child for the need for this Bill in its struggle to see the hugely needed lower Thames crossing built.

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I have reservations about whether the Bill will achieve its aims. Somerset faces a significant need for more homes, particularly social and affordable housing, especially in rural areas. It is crucial that local communities such as those in Glastonbury and Somerton have a strong voice and a real stake in the process of shaping the places where they live...

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Every week in my constituency surgery, families turn up with shocking stories of living in overcrowded rented homes. They show me photos of mould covering the walls, of four bunk beds crammed into one tiny room for the whole family, of the space on the kitchen floor where the parents sleep so the kids can have the sofa... Labour-run Ealing council already has one of the most ambitious affordable housing programmes in the country, but with more than 5,000 families on the waiting list for a home, it needs more help to make schemes add up financially.

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I appreciate the Government’s intention to speed up the planning and development process to build the clean infrastructure that we need, but we should not be rushing through such a huge Bill... The Bill may exacerbate that problem and weaken protections for the language. Concerns raised by communities about environmental impacts could be reduced to a handful of bullet points in a summary.

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I thank the Minister for recognising the urgent need for the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure, and I welcome the plan for 1.5 million new safe and decent homes by the end of this Parliament... We cannot let developers avoid responsibility for biodiversity net gain simply by paying into the nature restoration fund, banking money that may never be spent on nature.

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House building is essential to provide the homes that people need, but there are significant problems with our current approach to planning. My constituency has seen a 35% population growth in 20 years, yet housing built meets only some needs. South Oxfordshire has highlighted a serious shortage of social and affordable housing.

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I welcome the Bill’s recognition of the importance of development corporations, such as in Harlow. However, I draw attention to the issue of land banking and abandoned buildings that need to change.

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My concern is whether the legislation or planning changes will actually deliver the 1.5 million target. In Cornwall, we have met targets but local people’s housing problems have got worse.

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Britain finds itself in a chokehold with bottlenecks leaving it unable to update its infrastructure. The time that it takes to secure planning permission for major infrastructure has almost doubled over the past decade.

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There have been many eloquent and thoughtful contributions to the debate today, and I would like to build on and respond to some of the comments that have been made. Great speeches have been made by hon. Friends and Members from all parts of the House... The Deputy Prime Minister said that she wanted the homes that she will be delivering to be affordable. May I remind Labour Members that it was her Government, when she came in, who scrapped Help to Buy, scrapped shared ownership, and scrapped mechanisms that allowed the people in this country to get on to the housing ladder?

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Does my hon. Friend agree that one way of helping to deliver homes would be to ensure that those that have planning permission are built out first, thus saving the green belt and some of our suburban areas and rural areas?

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This Government have reduced housing targets in urban areas, where it is easier to build due to existing infrastructure, population density and the availability of brownfield sites.

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Does the Minister accept that it would be easier to support this Bill if it did not include clauses that provide the Secretary of State with the power not just to take some decisions away from planning committees, but to take all decisions away from planning committees?

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How is what the Minister is saying consistent with what he said on the Floor of the House on 9 December, when he stated changes are designed to focus the time of elected councillors on significant applications?

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Will the Minister address the specific point on draft regulations on what he intends through clause 46 alongside the passage of the Bill?

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Will the Minister give way?

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Can local councillors scrutinise but not actually stop large-scale planning applications?

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Will the Minister give way?