Planning news – 8 May 2025

Government to consult on removing planning committee decisions for developments of fewer than ten homes

The government is set to consult on shifting the jurisdiction of planning committees for smaller housing schemes.

This latest move builds on the proposals already laid out in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which is currently progressing through the House of Commons.

While the Bill outlines a ‘national scheme of delegation’, giving planning officers the authority to approve schemes that align with local plans, it does not explicitly call for a wider removal of planning committee involvement in smaller developments.

As reported by The Times, the government is expected to announce further elements of its planning reform agenda in the coming weeks. Among the most contentious is a consultation on removing council planning committees’ ability to “interfere in the vast majority of planning applications.”

Planning minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed that larger schemes will continue to go before committee. However, stripping planning committees of decision-making powers over swathes of smaller applications, he argues, will help streamline the system.

“Some local authorities haven’t made these changes, they haven’t streamlined their process,” Pennycook told The Times. “And I think bringing that clarity and uniformity across the country… will help speed up the process.”

Visit the Times to read more.

Study shows up to £7.5 Billion economy boost attributed to Planning and Infrastructure Bill reforms  

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill Impact Assessment, published on 6 May, has shown a significant potential boost to economy following the government’s proposed changes – with the highest potential uptick forecasted to be £7.5billion.

The bill, which is currently at House of Commons stage, introduces planning and infrastructure changes to support and further the reforms in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – around streamlining planning with the aim of building about the government’s desired 1.5million homes more rapidly.

According to an announcement published on the government website:

‘Even this assessment is expected to be an underestimate of the true economic value the reforms will have in boosting development. The current assessment also does not account for recent amendments to the Bill to overhaul the pre-application stage for critical infrastructure, which government analysis suggests will add another £1 billion over this Parliament.’

The release also notes:

‘The OBR analysis of the National Planning Policy Framework forecast 0.2% to be added to GDP by 2029/30– worth around £6.8bn in today’s prices.

Interested in how recent government reforms, including those within the revised NPPF, stand to impact land availability? Read our litepaper, Plotting the Future, for a deeper dive.

Solar farms offer refuge for wildlife, study shows

Solar farms are proving to be unlikely havens for biodiversity recovery, according to new research commissioned by Solar Energy. The study, conducted by Lancaster University alongside ecological consultancies Wychwood Biodiversity and Clarkson and Woods, analysed data from 124 solar farms across the UK.

Researchers recorded 7,500 individual birds across 94 species, with 28 per cent of these amber listed and 20 per cent red listed. Sites also supported nearly 3,000 butterflies and bumblebees from 29 species, as well as mammals including water voles, roe deer, and brown hares.

The findings reveal that solar farms can offer vital relief from the pressures of intensive agriculture, providing ecological refuges for species in decline. The study also identified a strong link between habitat management and biodiversity levels, with better-managed sites hosting significantly richer communities of birds, invertebrates, and plants.

The evidence highlights a growing opportunity for renewable infrastructure to support nature recovery alongside energy generation.