Rachel Reeves to Confirm Changes to Britain’s Planning System

Published: 14 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

The government is set to introduce significant changes to Britain’s planning and infrastructure system, aiming to remove bureaucratic hurdles and speed up major construction projects. Ministers are making it easier to build windfarms, reservoirs, and large housing developments through amendments to the planning bill, which Chancellor Rachel Reeves will confirm on Tuesday. The changes form part of a pre-budget push designed to reassure investors and signal the government’s commitment to economic growth.

Officials involved in drafting the amendments said earlier adjustments to the bill had inadvertently weakened investor confidence. Developers and construction firms have long argued that Britain’s planning processes are slow, inconsistent, and burdened with red tape. Among the proposed changes is a reduction in the role of Natural England in deciding relatively minor applications, allowing local authorities and developers to proceed with projects without excessive regulatory delays.

The amendments also address concerns about renewable energy projects. Developers will now be able to build wind turbines near seismic monitoring equipment in southern Scotland. The Eskdalemuir seismic array monitors global nuclear test activity, and the Ministry of Defence had raised concerns that turbines nearby could interfere with its sensitive equipment. Officials say the changes will ensure national security remains protected while allowing essential renewable energy projects to continue.

Chancellor Reeves described the reforms as vital for growth and investment. “The outdated planning system has been gummed up by burdensome bureaucracy and held to ransom by blockers for too long,” she said. “Our pro-growth planning bill shows we are serious about cutting red tape to get Britain building again, backing the builders, not the blockers, to speed up projects and show investors that we are a country that gets spades in the ground and our economy growing.”

Housing Secretary Steve Reed also praised the planned changes, arguing that long-standing barriers had stifled the country’s potential. “Britain’s potential has been shackled by governments unwilling to overhaul the stubborn planning system that has erected barriers to building at every turn,” he said. “It is simply not true that nature has to lose for economic growth to succeed,” Reed emphasised that the reforms seek to balance development with environmental protection, rather than prioritising one over the other.

One notable amendment will allow ministers to prevent councils from refusing planning permission if they are considering “calling in” an application for a national decision. This process, which applies to projects of particular significance, has been used in cases such as the proposed new Chinese embassy near Tower Bridge. The government hopes the amendment will prevent local-level delays that can stall major projects for months or even years.

In addition, the bill will limit when Natural England is required to intervene in planning decisions, aiming to reduce unnecessary regulatory involvement in smaller projects. The government argues that this will allow projects to move forward more quickly while still protecting vital environmental and wildlife standards.

Reeves has indicated that further reforms may be introduced later in the parliament through a proposed nature bill. This legislation could allow the UK to set its own rules on protected species, diverging from EU standards, and giving ministers greater flexibility in balancing development and conservation. Critics have warned that reducing environmental oversight could risk the country’s natural heritage, but supporters maintain it is essential for speeding up projects in critical sectors such as housing and energy.

The planning bill is expected to return to the House of Lords on 20 October. Officials hope the amendments will pass in time to be factored into economic growth forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility, potentially providing the government with around £3 billion in fiscal breathing room. This could help Reeves manage her debt targets while maintaining investment in infrastructure projects.

Despite broad support for modernising the system, ministers remain divided over whether a separate second planning bill is necessary. Some have argued that further legislation could make it easier to approve large-scale infrastructure projects, such as a third runway at Heathrow Airport, while others caution that a second bill could be politically damaging and a distraction from the wider economic agenda.

The reforms arrive at a critical moment for the construction sector, which faces rising costs, labour shortages, and public scrutiny over major developments. Builders have welcomed the changes as a sign that the government is serious about cutting red tape and enabling projects to progress more efficiently. Environmental groups, however, have raised concerns that reduced oversight could compromise protections for wildlife, ecosystems, and local communities.

As the House of Lords prepares to debate the amendments, the government’s objective is clear: to reassure developers, accelerate construction projects, and demonstrate a commitment to economic growth. Whether these reforms will deliver the intended results remains uncertain, particularly in balancing environmental considerations with the need for speedier approvals. Nevertheless, the planning bill represents one of the most ambitious efforts in recent years to modernise Britain’s planning system and reduce long-standing delays that have frustrated developers, investors, and communities alike.