The Government has announced (10^th March 2025) a series of proposed reforms aimed at overhauling the planning system’s statutory consultee process. These changes are part of a broader effort to address the challenges of delivering the government's ambitious goal of 1.5 million new homes. We unpack what the proposed changes may mean for private and public sector clients.

The proposed reforms are a timely response to an ongoing challenge: how do we speed up the planning process and the delivery of new homes without compromising on the quality of developments? The changes aim to make the system work smarter by addressing the Government-coined ‘bureaucratic burdens’ and inefficiencies that have slowed down vital housing projects and infrastructure.

Separately, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (P&IB), introduced earlier this afternoon (11th March 2025), aims to accelerate energy infrastructure development by streamlining planning decisions for at least 150 major projects. It will prioritise new transmission infrastructure, unlocking £200 billion in investment and reducing reliance on fossil fuel markets. The bill will fast-track approvals for wind, solar, electricity grids, hydrogen, carbon capture, and nuclear power, driving economic growth, creating thousands of jobs, and expanding clean energy production. We will be issuing a more detailed update on this in the coming days.

Addressing Planning Delays

Delays to the planning process due to late responses, vague objections, and repetitive reviews can be costly and disruptive, often leading to uncertainty and delays to much-needed development. The reforms are aimed at addressing this by reducing the scope of statutory consultees to key areas like safety, environmental protection, and heritage.

Organisations such as Sport England, The Theatres Trust, and The Gardens Trust will no longer be statutory consultees. This should ensure a more streamlined and efficient system for planning decisions. Their proposed removal reflects the need for a more streamlined approach that prioritises the issues most directly related to planning decisions.

Timely Decisions, Fewer Delays?

A key reform will allow planning authorities (LPAs) to proceed with decisions if statutory consultees fail to respond within 21 days. This aims to prevent unnecessary delays, although concerns exist that consultees may submit holding objections to meet deadlines, potentially causing further delays. To improve accountability, the government also plans to introduce a performance framework to assess consultees on timeliness and quality of advice.

A Focus on Growth

Ultimately, these reforms are about supporting the Government’s wider ‘Plan for Change’ growth agenda. With a commitment to deliver 1.5 million new homes, the proposed changes are designed to remove blockers and speed up decision-making.

Moving Forward

Further updates are also likely to provide more clarity around the Brownfield Passports, Strategic Development and Nature Recovery, and provisions for no ‘hope value’ on compulsory purchase of vacant and derelict land needed for homes and infrastructure. 

These reforms are seen as a positive step toward a more efficient planning system that prioritises timely decision-making. The government aims to enhance growth, efficiency, and accountability while minimising unnecessary delays.

A consultation will be held in the coming months to refine the proposed changes, focusing on removing unnecessary delays and ensuring the system benefits developers, local authorities, and communities.

There will obviously be a lot to digest over the coming few days. We will continue to monitor the impacts of the proposed planning reforms, working with developers, local authorities, and landowners to understand how they are affected, to identify growth opportunities and solutions to challenges.

We will also be issuing more detailed updates on a range of related topic matters including the recently introduced P&IB over the coming weeks and months.

If you would like to discuss this in more detail with a member of our team, please contact:

Mary-Jane O'Neill
Head of Planning Consultancy (London & South)
07732 600 795
MJONeill@lsh.co.uk

Chris Hartley
Senior Planner
Planning, Regeneration + Infrastructure
07548 780 169
CHartley@lsh.co.uk

Katie Gregory
Senior Planner
Planning, Regeneration + Infrastructure
07763 210 973
KGregory@lsh.co.uk