Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to announce sweeping reforms to modernize the UK’s planning system, aiming to cut red tape and accelerate the construction of windfarms, reservoirs, and housing developments. The move is part of a broader push to boost investor confidence and drive economic growth ahead of the upcoming budget.
The revised planning and infrastructure bill will reduce the role of Natural England in minor applications and allow developers to build wind turbines near seismic sensors in southern Scotland. It also gives ministers greater authority to override local councils on planning refusals for nationally significant projects.
Reeves emphasized that Britain’s “outdated planning system” has been slowed by unnecessary bureaucracy, pledging to “back the builders, not the blockers.” Housing Secretary Steve Reed added that the reforms would strike a balance between economic progress and environmental protection.
The bill, scheduled for review in the House of Lords on 20 October, is expected to form part of the government’s growth strategy, potentially giving Reeves additional fiscal flexibility under her debt rules.