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The House of Commons Public Bill Committee is calling for expertise, experience and/or special interest input as evidence for its consideration of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently passing through Parliament, with its first meeting on 24 April.
The House of Commons Public Bill Committee writes:
Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which is currently passing through Parliament?
If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.
The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration.
The Public Bill Committee will scrutinise the Bill line by line. The Public Bill Committee will meet for the first time on Thursday 24 April 2025 to consider the Bill and is expected to report by 5pm on Thursday 22 May. When the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Thursday 22 May 2025. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.
Aims of the Bill
The bill would make changes to the law around planning and infrastructure to support ambitions in the government’s Plan for Change. These ambitions include delivering 1.5 million homes and deciding 150 nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) before the end of the 2024 parliament.
The Bill would:
- reform rules around nationally significant infrastructure projects (under the Planning Act 2008), including by requiring regular review of national policy statements and introducing a more focused consultation process;
- speed up the delivery of electricity infrastructure, introduce a ‘cap and floor’ revenue support scheme for long duration energy storage technologies, and set up a benefits scheme for households living near new or significantly upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure;
- streamline planning processes for transport projects consented under the Highways Act 1980 and Transport and Works Act 1992 regimes, including through new charging arrangements, revised timescales for consultation and decision-making, and powers to take temporary possession of and use land;
- enable local authorities to set planning fees and charges locally, establish a national scheme of planning delegation, require mandatory training of planning committee members, introduce new strategic planning boards and clarify the process for spatial development strategies;
- grant new powers for Natural England to produce ‘environmental development plans’ to assess the impact of projects on significant nature protection sites;
- clarify the role and remit of development corporations to ensure a consistent approach to support large-scale housing delivery; and
- bring together and streamline compulsory purchase procedures to enable greater flexibility for change and early possession of land.
The bill would extend to England and Wales, with some provisions for infrastructure also extending to Scotland.
Oral evidence sessions will be held on Thursday 24 April.
Guidance on submitting written evidence
Deadline for written evidence submissions
The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence.
The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration.
See IHBC NewsBlog on the Bill HERE
See more on the IHBC’s Consultations Committee HERE
