The new reforms have been confirmed to speed up the approval process for major infrastructure projects - reforms could cut pre-application time from the planning process by up to 12 months and potentially save developers £1 billion on major infrastructure projects.

Delivered through the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act, the changes confirmed on 3 July will come into effect on 24 July and will scrap mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).

In their place, developers will receive earlier technical support and meaningful advice from the Planning Inspectorate before applications are submitted, with examinations streamlined to focus on the key issues that matter – getting projects through the system faster and with greater certainty. Over 80 prospective applicants have already benefited from early advice to help shape their proposed applications since the launch of the Inspectorate’s new pre-application service.

Since taking office, the government has made 41 decisions on major infrastructure projects – including Mona Offshore Wind Farm, Gate Burton Energy Park and the Lower Thames Crossing – double the previous Parliament’s tally at this stage.

The major infrastructure projects could create over 82,000 jobs and generate more clean energy annually to power millions of homes and businesses across the country. Thanks to new reforms, more projects will also enter the pipeline at a faster rate – putting the government on track to exceed its target of at least 150 major infrastructure decisions this Parliament.

The new reforms come as the Act’s wider reforms are already keeping major NSIP projects moving. New limits on totally without merit legal challenges were recently tested in the Stonestreet Green Solar case, where the court rapidly dismissed a meritless claim – saving a solar project that will power around 42,000 homes from months of unnecessary delay.

Much-needed infrastructure like data centres can now opt in to the NSIP regime that allows developers to rapidly deliver these projects, if granted, through strict, fixed timeframes rather than facing endless delays locally.

Ministers have already directed three data centre proposals into the NSIP regime at Wapseys Wood in Buckinghamshire, Ampthill Road in Bedford, and New Barn Lane in Dartford.

As part of the wider package of reforms already underway, local authorities are also being supported to keep pace with the accelerating pipeline of infrastructure, as they can now set their own fees to recover costs for NSIP-related work and bid for up to £1 million through Round 3 of the Innovation and Capacity Fund.

The news comes as Examining Authorities made 20 recommendations to ministers on NSIPs last year, an 18% increase compared to the previous year - these applications were also processed more quickly than statutory maximum timescales.

Head of Infrastructure Decisions and Applications Service at the Planning Inspectorate, David Price said:

“The Infrastructure Service at the Planning Inspectorate has worked closely with MHCLG throughout the development of the Planning and Infrastructure Act and is ready to support its successful implementation. We are committed to working collaboratively with applicants, stakeholders and delivery partners to help realise the ambitions of the legislation and support a more targeted infrastructure consenting process.”

Changes set out in the government’s consultation response on NSIP reforms include:

The Government is due to set out further details of the new guidance shortly, including on the pre-application period to support the removal of the statutory consultation.

The government says it is committed to fast-track decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure by the end of this Parliament. This is nearly triple the 59 Development Consent Order decisions taken in the previous Parliament, and exceeding the total of 138 NSIP decisions made since 2011.