The government has launched a new consultation aimed at overhauling the planning process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), in a bid to fast-track delivery and unlock over £1 billion in savings.
Led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the proposals seek to streamline the NSIP consenting regime and help meet the government’s ambition to fast-track 150 major infrastructure decisions by the end of this parliament.
Key proposals include removing the statutory requirement for pre-application consultation, which ministers say could cut up to 12 months from project timelines.
Developers have cautiously welcomed this, noting non-statutory engagement would still play an important role.
Other proposed changes include streamlining examination procedures, improving resources for statutory consultees, and applying reforms to onshore wind projects.
The proposals build on the Planning Act 2008, which replaced lengthy public inquiries with a more efficient system led by the Planning Inspectorate and signed off by ministers.
However, delays have continued, often attributed to ministers deferring politically sensitive decisions.
Industry leaders say inefficiencies are deeply embedded.
In Mace’s report, The Future of Major Programme Delivery, Phil Brown, managing director of major nuclear capital programmes at Babcock International, said: “We can find ourselves producing a report which simply unlocks the next more detailed report; this wasted effort and inefficiency adds little value, increases costs and delays programmes.”
Davendra Dabasia, chief executive officer at Mace Consult, added: “Many of the issues are systemic, often driven by national politics and policies… The solution must rest with more collaborative delivery approaches that prioritise the creation of integrated teams aligned to common goals.”
Analysis by the Britain Remade campaign, which advocates for economic growth, found that around 40 per cent of infrastructure projects currently face delays.
Earlier this year, however, the government announced that 13 planning decisions had been taken by ministers – over 90 per cent within the target timeframe – with nine NSIP projects approved.
Housing minister, Matthew Pennycook said the changes are key for unlocking growth and delivering critical infrastructure more efficiently.
“The removal of the statutory requirement to consult as part of the pre-application stage for NSIP applications presents an unparalleled opportunity to speed up the delivery of major economic infrastructure,” said Pennycock.
“Over this parliament, the change could result in a cost saving of over £1 billion across the pipeline of projects.”
The consultation is open until 27 October 2025.
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