Weekly planning news
Planning news - 26 June 2025

Seven councils fall below planning speed targets, latest data shows
New figures published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) reveal that seven local planning authorities (LPAs) are underperforming against government targets for the speed of planning decision-making in the year to March 2025.
Hull City Council was the only authority to fall below the 60% threshold for major ‘district matters’ applications, determining just 57.1% within the statutory 13-week period. The council cited staff capacity issues during the reporting period as the main cause and said measures are now in place to restore performance.
Five councils missed the target for major ‘county matters’ applications, with Bristol City Council and South Downs National Park Authority each meeting deadlines in only half of their four decisions. Slough and Bexley each made only one such decision, which they argue were handled correctly, and West Berkshire achieved 33.3% compliance.
On non-major applications, Leicester City Council was the only LPA to fall below the 70% threshold, deciding 67.1% of cases on time.
Despite continued underperformance on county matters, Bristol City Council has improved its non-major application speed to 78%. Meanwhile, St Albans City and District Council surpassed the 70% threshold and, along with two others, was removed from special measures status earlier this month.
Only Bristol City Council and Lewes District Council remain under special measures designation, with the latter sanctioned for poor decision quality.
Offshore wind will be reintroduced to major infrastructure by end of the year
Following a government consultation in July 2024, a draft statutory instrument was published allowing onshore wind schemes to be reintroduced into the nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) regime. This move marks a significant shift in policy after a period during which onshore wind was largely excluded from this streamlined consenting process.
In April 2025, MPs approved the Infrastructure Planning (Onshore Wind and Solar Generation) Order 2025, which sets a new threshold for onshore wind and solar projects to be eligible for NSIP consent at more than 100 megawatts (MW). This replaced earlier proposals to raise the solar scheme threshold to 150MW, with the government concluding that a 100MW threshold better reflects modern technology.
Michael Shanks, the parliamentary undersecretary of state for energy security and net zero, formally signed the order on 9 June 2025. The regulation will come into effect on 31 December 2025, reintroducing onshore wind projects into the NSIP regime and adjusting the solar scheme thresholds accordingly.
The order also includes transitional provisions. Solar farms and onshore wind projects currently under assessment or planning permission processes before 31 December 2025 will continue under the existing Town and Country Planning Acts (1990 and 2008), ensuring applications made prior to the cutoff date are considered under previous rules. This provides clarity and certainty for projects already underway.
This legislative change follows the government’s revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in July 2024, which removed a de facto ban on onshore wind schemes and committed to consulting on their reintegration into the major infrastructure planning regime.
The reintroduction of onshore wind into the NSIP regime is expected to streamline the consent process for large renewable energy projects, supporting the UK’s ambitions for net zero energy generation and energy security.
Grey belt appeal allowed as settlement found to be a ‘village’
Plans for 270 homes on Surrey green belt land have been approved at appeal after a planning inspector ruled that a nearby settlement previously described as a “large built-up area” is, in fact, a village. Tandridge District Council had refused the application in May 2024, but the decision was overturned after the inspector concluded the site met the revised definition of “grey belt” land under national policy.
Housebuilder Byond Homes had submitted outline plans to develop 15 hectares of land north of Smallfield, Surrey. The council rejected the application on the grounds that the site contributed strongly to restricting urban sprawl - one of the three key purposes of green belt designation. However, the appeal hinged on whether Smallfield constituted a village or a larger urban area. Under new national guidance published in February 2025, protections related to urban sprawl no longer apply to villages.
In his decision, inspector David Prentis considered various policy documents and previous assessments. While a 2015 green belt review referred to Smallfield as a built-up area, the inspector noted that this document had limited weight, having never been tested through examination. Citing more recent appeal decisions and the council’s own development plan, he found Smallfield’s population of around 3,800 and its character aligned more closely with that of a village.
The inspector also found that the proposal would deliver substantial public benefits. These included 49 per cent affordable housing - well above the council’s policy requirement -alongside new green spaces, highways upgrades, and flood alleviation works. Both the council and appellant agreed the site was in a sustainable location with access to public transport and local services, and met the NPPF’s criteria for appropriate development in the green belt.
Ultimately, Prentis concluded that the benefits of the scheme outweighed the limited harm identified. He gave significant weight to the delivery of housing, especially affordable homes, and moderate weight to associated infrastructure and environmental improvements.