The UK's Labour government is introducing measures to fast-track planning decisions in the country by overhauling local planning committees.

The goal is to drive economic growth by enabling faster project initiation and address the domestic housing crisis by expediting the construction of new homes.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner outlined the new measures, which are part of the government's broader economic strategy, Plan for Change.

The government has recently pledged to make decisions on at least 150 infrastructure projects and build 1.5 million homes as part of the initiative.

Rayner said: “Grasping the nettle of planning committee reform and fast-tracking decision-making is a vital part of our Plan for Change. Building 1.5 million homes over five years means tackling the housing crisis we inherited head-on with bold action.

“Through our Planning and Infrastructure Bill, alongside new National Planning Policy Framework and mandatory housing targets, we are taking decisive steps to accelerate building, get spades in the ground and deliver the change communities need.”

Applications that align with local development plans could bypass planning committees, introducing a national scheme of delegation and streamlined committees for strategic development.

Additionally, mandatory training for planning committee members is being proposed. Local planning officers are also expected to have an enhanced decision-making role in implementing the agreed planning policy.

The government intends to provide greater certainty to homebuilders and ensure that high-quality schemes that comply with local development plans are approved promptly.

A formal public consultation on these detailed proposals will be published to coincide with the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill next year.

The government said it is committed to working closely with the construction sector to implement changes from the working paper, which is the first in a series aimed at informing policy development for the bill.

Royal Town Planning Institute chief executive Victoria Hills said: “It’s encouraging to see the government explore these options in such an open way. These are the right questions to ask, and it is good that the government is prioritising collaboration, transparency, and consistency.

"By empowering qualified planners to implement planning policies, locally elected councillors will have the time to focus on the more significant cases, effectively speeding up the planning process and reducing unnecessary delays.”