Labour’s landslide victory marks the end of 14 years of Conservative rule and heralds a new era. But once the champagne corks have stopped popping at Labour HQ, the new Government needs to roll up its sleeves fast and steer a...more
This Insight summarises the Planning aspirations of the Conservative, Labour and the Liberal Democrat manifestos for the UK’s 2024 election. Their shared focus is on housing, energy infrastructure and battling climate change....more
The Supreme Court’s judgment in R(Finch) v Surrey County Council [2024] UKSC 20 has potentially significant implications on how environmental impacts of major projects are assessed. The question at the heart of the case was...more
Details of how the recently confirmed operational reforms to improve the NSIP planning process will work in practice are beginning to emerge.
We have previously reported on which of the proposed operational reforms are...more
Reducing the embodied carbon in the built environment has an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change. However, there is no national planning policy that incorporates such considerations in the planning...more
Changes to the DCO consenting process to be introduced this spring have the potential to help applicants navigate this system with more certainty and confidence. They introduce more flexibility into the process allowing the...more
Some significant planning changes are proposed in a government consultation on ‘An Accelerated Planning System’ launched on 6 March 2024 alongside the Spring Budget (which closes on 1 May). These proposed changes cover new...more
The Government’s consultation on the siting of nuclear power stations beyond 2025 reflects the changing nuclear landscape in the UK and proposes a new approach to national planning policy that is more flexible and developer...more
One of the final amendments to the new Levelling up and Regeneration Act (“LURA”) before it gained royal assent on 26 October 2023, was to require the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to consider...more
Included in the wide range of provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 are some important changes to the process and procedures for Development Consent Orders and Compulsory Purchase Orders. In this Insight we...more
The Government’s energy infrastructure reform programme continues to gather pace following publication of multiple important documents this autumn. In this Insight we discuss the recent progress and new announcements setting...more
12/7/2023
/ Autumn Statement ,
Climate Change ,
Consultation ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Infrastructure ,
Power Infrastructure ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Renewable Energy ,
Transmission Grid ,
UK
Publication of the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) second National Infrastructure Assessment (‘NIA2’) in October 2023, in line with its 5-year requirement, is an important step and a document that will be used to...more
Following compliance with the parliamentary requirements, the National Policy Statement (NPS) for water resource infrastructure was finally designated by the Environment Secretary on 18 September 2023, bringing it immediately...more
The Government is currently consulting on operational changes to the NSIP consenting process that have the potential to make significant improvements to parts of the DCO process. In this Insight we outline the changes...more
The refusal of M&S's plans to demolish and rebuild their flagship store on Oxford Street by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Michael Gove) has attracted much attention because of the wider...more
8/10/2023
/ Construction Industry ,
Construction Project ,
Demolition ,
Green Buildings ,
Historical Landmarks ,
Mixed-Use Zoning ,
Real Estate Development ,
Seismic Retrofitting ,
Sustainable Projects ,
UK ,
Urban Planning & Development
The process of securing development consent (a DCO) for a major scheme can take many years. The decision of the Government on whether to grant the DCO is made at the end of that process and is subject to ‘judicial review’ by...more
We have been closely following the emerging details of the new biodiversity net gain (BNG) regime and the emerging market for off-site BNG which is expected to come into force for most planning applications in November 2023...more
6/15/2023
/ Biodiversity ,
Brownfield Properties ,
Consultation ,
Critical Habitat ,
Environmental Policies ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
New Guidance ,
Property Owners ,
Real Estate Development ,
UK ,
Urban Planning & Development
Publication of the Water Resources Infrastructure NPS marks a milestone for water infrastructure projects as it is the first NPS for water resources pursuant to the 2008 Act, coming 15 years after the regime’s creation. First...more
Significant revisions to the draft energy NPS published for consultation align with other strands of government energy policy and legislative amendments being introduced via the Energy Bill. They strengthen the need case for...more
4/26/2023
/ Aviation Industry ,
Consultation ,
Defense Sector ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Infrastructure ,
Net Zero ,
Offshore Wind ,
Policy Drafting ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Renewable Energy
The government’s consultation on the proposed new system of Environmental Outcome Reports to replace the existing environmental assessment regime, provides a clearer idea of how it is likely to work in practice. In this...more
The Government’s Action Plan on how it proposes to improve the NSIP planning process has some good ideas, most of which amount to fine-tuning rather than a fundamental change. Whilst some of the changes may increase the cost...more
3/14/2023
/ Electricity ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Expedited Actions Process ,
Expedited Approval Process ,
Infrastructure ,
National Action Plan ,
Permits ,
Public Projects ,
Real Estate Development ,
UK
The planning regime has been adapted over time to accommodate the commercial realities of development, with statutory mechanisms introduced to enable the approval of amendments to existing planning permissions to various...more
The chancellor’s 'mini-budget' on 23 September introduced some significant planning reforms. In a separate blog we discussed the new Investment Zones announced that will benefit from tax reliefs and liberalised planning laws....more
The Chancellor’s radical tax cutting 'mini-budget' on 23 September introduced the new government’s central agenda for growth. Whilst it was the fiscal announcements that have since dominated the headlines and market reaction,...more
A recently published government consultation (which closes on 19 July 2022) proposes fundamental changes in how CPO compensation is assessed and will have significant implications for landowners, acquiring authorities and...more