Latest APSE briefing: Planning and Infrastructure Bill – Impact assessment

On the 6 May 2025, the UK government published an impact assessment of the measures set out in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, looking at the impact on business, the economy and wider society. 

The Bill is described by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as supporting the Government's Plan for Change, which includes the target of "building 1.5 million homes in England and fast-tracking 150 planning decisions on major economic infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament by speeding up and streamlining planning processes to accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing."

The impact assessment includes estimated direct and indirect benefits across the UK economy in a regulatory scorecard and associated financial costs to the public sector, as well as a discussion on unquantified benefits and costs.

Vickie Hacking, APSE Principal Advisor, said: "APSE’s housing and planning research papers, many in partnership with the TCPA, have consistently found that local authorities have been removed from an effective role in building new homes, and social homes. In addition, austerity measures and fiscal constraints on local councils, have contributed to the decline in planning capacity. Decades if heavy reliance on private sector developers to build the homes that the nation needs has also resulted in many of the failings outlined in the impact assessment.

"Therefore, APSE welcomes the acknowledgement in the impact assessment that Local Authority Planning Authorities play a crucial role in delivering on the commitments set out in the Bill."

Click here to read the full APSE briefing