Labor will overhaul the “outdated” planning system to speed up the construction of critical infrastructure, under plans to be announced today.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to unveil a raft of reforms to boost growth, create jobs and unlock private investment in her speech to Labour’s annual conference this afternoon.
The package will include a promise to update all national policy statements, which set out the types of projects the country needs, within the first six months of a Labor government.
Reeves will also commit to speeding up the planning process for priority growth areas of the economy, such as battery factories, laboratories and 5G infrastructure.
“Unnecessary, egregious and time-consuming” litigation will be tackled by setting out clearer national guidance for developers about the engagement and consultation expected with local communities, he will say.
Businesses and communities are to be offered “a menu of potential incentives”, which could include cheaper energy bills, to ensure they benefit from proposed developments in their area.
Labor also wants to hire 300 new planning officers to boost public sector capacity and speed up planning decisions, a move funded by the rise in the stamp duty surcharge on non-UK residents.
Reeves will use his speech to unveil a set of reforms that will “address the obstacles presented by our antiquated planning system” and accelerate the construction of critical infrastructure for energy, transportation and technology.
These would “accelerate battery factories, life sciences and 5G infrastructure and … address the time- and money-consuming litigation before we ever see shovels on the ground,” he will tell delegates in Liverpool.
They would also ensure that when a local community hosts critical national infrastructure, they will feel the benefits, including lower energy bills.
Describing HS2 as “the most expensive railway in the world”, Reeves will say the biggest obstacle to building infrastructure, investment and growth is the Conservative Party.
“If we are to stimulate investment, restore economic security and reignite growth, we must rebuild Britain,” he will say.
Response from the construction industry
Richard Robinson, Deputy Co-Chair of the UK Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and CEO of AtkinsRéalis Europe, said: “Commitments to speed up planning applications by streamlining processes and prioritizing critical national infrastructure are encouraging, but this ambition will only be realized if digital technology is fully harnessed.
“As set out in the recent CLC report, construction productivity could be increased by 25 per cent, equating to £45 billion of annual savings, through a number of measures, including the digitization of the planning process enabled by a revised information management mandate that will lead to better data-driven decision-making at the start and throughout the life cycle of a project.”
Hannah Vickers, CLC board member and chief of staff at Mace, said: “Today’s announcements are a welcome boost to the country’s long-term infrastructure need. We know that since 2012 consent times for nationally important infrastructure projects have increased by 65% from 2.6 to 4.2 years, costing the country more than £2 billion each year .
“It is clear that the country needs leadership and long-term thinking on the infrastructure agenda. The commitment shown in updating the National Policy Statements and modernizing the planning system is very welcome news and will give our business confidence to continue investing in our people and innovation to deliver.”
