Weekly planning news

Government pledges to streamline infrastructure planning

The government has pledged to overhaul the nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIP) regime, including a review of its fast-track process, after admitting that no schemes have opted to use it in its first year of operation.

Planning minister Matthew Pennycook has already confirmed that the statutory requirement for pre-application consultation will be removed. Instead, applicants will be expected to carry out “high-quality early, meaningful and constructive engagement” with those affected, while the secretary of state will be placed under a new duty to issue guidance to support applicants in preparing their submissions. 

A government consultation¹ on streamlining infrastructure planning, published at the start of this month, seeks views on what this guidance should include, such as the role of statutory bodies and local authorities, how to balance early engagement with sufficient technical detail, and how to avoid unnecessary delays. 

It also highlights changes to the Planning Inspectorate’s (PINS) role once statutory pre-application consultation is removed, with ministers seeking views on how PINS can best support the government’s infrastructure priorities.

The consultation notes that uptake of PINS’ new “enhanced” pre-application service has been limited, with just 5 per cent of applicants using it since its introduction nine months ago. The service was designed to enable schemes to be fast-tracked after submission, but officials said the low participation “runs counter” to the government’s ambitions to accelerate delivery of critical infrastructure.

As part of the review, the fast-track route could be redesigned to make it accessible to a wider range of projects, potentially prioritising those identified as “critical national priorities” and offering applicants an optional higher level of pre-application support from PINS. The government is now seeking views on how the policy could be reshaped to accelerate delivery and unlock economic growth.

High Court backs inspector in controversial green belt case

A High Court judge has confirmed that the openness of the green belt “cannot be compromised” by development judged to be ‘not inappropriate’ under national policy, according to an article from Planning Resource².

Mole Valley District Council had issued an enforcement notice in 2024 against a landowner for using green belt farmland to station residential caravans and carry out associated works. The decision was overturned on appeal in 2025, with the inspector finding the site fell within “grey belt” land - a category introduced in the 2024 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) - and that the council could not demonstrate a five-year supply of gypsy and traveller pitches.

The council challenged the ruling, arguing that national green belt policy had been misapplied, that traveller site policy had been misinterpreted, and that its 2024 local plan report had been overlooked.
The High Court dismissed all three grounds, ruling the inspector had acted lawfully. 

The judgment confirms that when development is classed as ‘not inappropriate’ in the green belt, its effect on openness does not override that status. It also underlines the importance of councils evidencing a deliverable supply of traveller pitches and presenting all relevant material at appeal.

Mole Valley District Council was refused permission to appeal further. 

Labour MPs risk losing seats over Planning Bill, new research suggests

According to a report highlighted by the Daily Express³, Angela Rayner’s housing proposals under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill could put at least 40 Labour MPs at risk of losing their seats. 

Research by ecological consultancy Arbtech suggests that voters in peri-urban and green belt constituencies are concerned that new housing developments may threaten local nature and communities, despite support for increased homebuilding.

The Bill has recently been amended to strengthen environmental protections, including timelines for safeguarding rare species and clearer rules for nature restoration funds. However, the report warns that these changes may not be enough to win public support, and even small shifts in voter sentiment in environmentally conscious areas could undermine Labour’s electoral gains.

A government spokesperson told the Express that the Bill aims to both accelerate housing delivery and enhance environmental protection, framing the legislation as a way to balance growth with sustainability.

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-streamlining-infrastructure-planning/consultation-on-streamlining-infrastructure-planning
2. https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1930928/judge-confirms-inspectors-finding-green-belt-openness-cannot-compromised-not-inappropriate-development
3. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2103416/planning-housing-nature-government