Britain’s planning reforms could reduce major infrastructure approval times by up to 12 months and save developers around £1 billion
The government aims to decide at least 150 major infrastructure projects during this Parliament, including renewable energy developments
Approved projects are expected to create more than 82,000 jobs and expand clean energy generation across the UK
The UK government has announced planning reforms that will cut up to 12 months from the approval process for major infrastructure projects in Britain, including solar farms, wind farms, nuclear plants, reservoirs and transport links.
Delivered through the Planning and Infrastructure Act, the changes will remove mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) from July 24, 2026.
The government said the move could save developers around £1 billion during the current Parliament.
Under the new system, instead of the existing consultation process, developers will receive earlier technical support and guidance from the Planning Inspectorate before submitting applications. The examination process will also focus on key planning issues to help projects progress more quickly.
“Britain cannot afford to wait years for the clean energy infrastructure needed to strengthen our energy security and grow the economy,” said Energy Minister Michael Shanks. “Every turbine, every solar panel, every cable we connect helps protect families from volatile fossil fuel markets and paves the way for a new era of clean energy.”
According to the government, it has approved 41 major infrastructure projects since taking office that are expected to create more than 82,000 jobs and generate enough clean electricity to power millions of homes and businesses.
The government said the reforms will help it achieve its target of deciding at least 150 major infrastructure projects during the current Parliament, nearly 3 times the number approved in the previous Parliament.
The reforms would also help eligible data centers enter the NSIP approval process to benefit from faster approvals. It estimates that the broader Planning and Infrastructure Act could contribute up to £7.5 billion to the UK economy over the next decade.
As part of the country’s grid connection process reforms, Britain’s NESO recently awarded grid connection offers covering 37 GW of new renewable energy and BESS capacity that will come online before 2030 (see Britain Issues Grid Connection Offers For 37 GW Clean Energy).
The UK expects to achieve 54-57 GW of total solar capacity by 2030, including small-scale solar, up from over 26 GW at the end of June 2026, according to the local solar energy association Solar Energy UK. According to official statistics, the UK had installed 22.6 GW of solar capacity across more than 2 million installations at the end of May 2026.
