Nuclear power plants and wind farms to be approved faster under UK plans to cut red tape

System shake-up aims to halve the time for some major developments to get the greenlight

Projects like the Burbo Bank offshore wind farm near Merseyside could be approved more quickly. Reuters

Nuclear power plants and offshore wind farms could soon be springing up at a faster pace in the UK under government plans to cut red tape to bypass “slow and burdensome” planning processes.

A quicker route for major infrastructure projects to get the greenlight is at the heart of ministers’ plans to overhaul the system, outlined in a new consultation launched on Tuesday.

Projects that provide environmental and community benefits will also be earmarked for faster approval under reforms which Rishi Sunak said will help create jobs. These include large-scale developments linked to energy, transport, water or waste.

“Strong communities need to be supported by vital infrastructure; the transport links, power plants and buildings that underpin our everyday lives,” the Prime Minister said.

“Significant infrastructure projects don’t just ensure that people can get to work easily, do their recycling and power their homes. They also create jobs, grow our economy and help us become fit for the future.

“It is right that we make it as easy as possible for these important projects to be approved and delivered across the country.”

The plans are outlined in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects consultation, which is seeking views from the public until mid-September.

The restructuring would see the consent process for new projects streamlined from beginning to end.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said this could halve the time for decision on some projects to be given the go-ahead.

Developers be incentivised to engage “more proactively and effectively” with local authorities, the department said.

The cross-government action plan aims to make the system “better, faster, greener, fairer and more resilient”, it said.

Levelling up and housing secretary Michael Gove said the changes will reduce the hurdles that developers need to overcome before they can get boots on the ground.

“It is vital we can deliver the major infrastructure we need to regenerate our communities and level up,” Mr Gove said. “But local authorities and planners face barriers and red tape which have resulted in delays impacting on homeowners and housebuilders alike.”

Mr Gove on Monday laid out measures including on leasehold reform, simplifying planning procedures, expanding planning capacity and regenerating and reviving inner cities.

He said the strategy would pave the way for a new “inner city renaissance” and boost urban regeneration.