The time to secure planning permission has doubled in the last decade, according to Labour. Credit: David Calvert via Shutterstock.

The UK’s Labour government has pledged to make decisions on at least 150 infrastructure projects and building 1.5 million homes as part of its ‘Plan for Change’ initiative, which was presented last week.

As part of the pledge, the national government has vowed to approve more gigafactories, solar farms, roads, and railway lines over the next five years. This is seen as crucial for creating jobs, enhancing connectivity, and reducing energy bills for the public.

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The government’s commitment to infrastructure investment is also in response to the challenges of delivering major projects in England, which have reportedly become slower and more costly than in countries such as France and Italy.

The time to secure planning permission has doubled in the last decade, now taking more than four years on average.

The government has confirmed an increase in investment in housing to £5bn ($6.3bn) for the next year in the recent budget, including £500m in new funding for the Affordable Homes Programme.

Other initiatives include the launch of a New Homes Accelerator group to release homes stuck in the planning system, proposals for ‘brownfield passports’, and the establishment of an independent New Towns Taskforce to build large-scale communities, each comprising 10,000 homes.

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The Plan for Change initiative aims at driving economic growth and improving living standards across the country.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “We were elected on the promise of change and turning the page on failure, rebuilding this country from the bottom up.

“That’s why we won’t let the voices of the small minority of blockers hold the country hostage when it comes to growth. We’ve seen this done over the past year – with decisions on vital infrastructure with huge potential to grow our economy being unnecessarily delayed.

“Our Plan for Change will stop this and drive real improvements in the lives of working people.”

New ten-year strategies for housing and infrastructure are scheduled for publication early next year, which will provide a roadmap for future investment and economic growth.

Last week, Homes England reported a significant increase in new home construction and completions outside of English capital London between 1 April and 30 September 2024.