"This is another step towards our £1.5m homes ‘Plan for Change’ target which will restore the dream of homeownership, end the housing crisis, and boost economic growth across the country."
- Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister & housing secretary
Prior to the launch of a dedicated board to accelerate projects, the government has committed £500m to streamline environmental planning.
The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said the funding, also for the Marine Recovery Fund to build capacity in the system, will help improve planning application processing efficiency.
“A clear, single point of contact will cut the time it takes to secure planning permissions and approvals for large-scale development, boosting project certainty, and minimising costs and delays,” DEFRA stated.
The Nature Recovery Fund, part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which is currently at committee stage at the House of Lords, will introduce a levy that developers will pay to meet their environmental obligations.
DEFRA believes a new group infrastructure board will speed up housing development as well as new transport and energy schemes. The board is also set to accelerate the planning process for at least 50 major infrastructure projects.
The Planning Inspectorate will continue to oversee the consenting process.
Furthermore, an environmental body will become responsible for large projects. On the Lower Thames Crossing, Natural England will be the lead environmental regulator for a new road crossing connecting Kent, Thurrock, and Essex.
These measures follow a £500m funding package that the government announced as part of its ten-year ‘Infrastructure Strategy’ in June. DEFRA said the funding would benefit the planning system, helping build “the homes families need whilst supporting nature recovery on land and at sea at scale.”
The Marine Recovery Fund is also set to deliver industry-funded, strategic measures to tackle adverse effects of offshore wind development on marine protected areas.
Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister & housing secretary (pictured), added: “We have been stuck with a status quo that has stopped us building the homes we need, and has done nothing for nature’s recovery. Communities deserve better, that’s why we’re pushing ahead with our pro-growth reforms to not only deliver vital homes and infrastructure, but drive real, lasting recovery for the environment.
“This is another step towards our £1.5m homes ‘Plan for Change’ target which will restore the dream of homeownership, end the housing crisis, and boost economic growth across the country.”
