New rules to make sure planning permission decisions are delivered quickly are included in the Growth & Infrastructure Bill which was introduced to Parliament last week.

On the table is the idea for a fast track route for developers and others seeking to construct new infrastructure that will bypass local council planning departments if those councils are poor at processing decisions. The Bill proposes that developers will instead be able to have their decisions taken by the Planning Inspectorate within 12 months.

The legislation is a key part in new planning law and the localism agenda and crucial for delivering infrastructure that will drive growth in the economy, the Government says.

It is an encouragement to make sure local communities use the new powers they have been given to decide how their areas develop to make planning decisions that will allow development.

In an interview in Transportation Professional this month Government’s chief planner Steve Quartermain says: “The choice for developers will only trigger if you are a poor performing authority. If you don’t want developers to go round you, don’t be poor.”

The Bill sets out a series of practical reforms to reduce confusing and overlapping red tape that delays and discourages business investment, new infrastructure and job creation, Government said.

The priority is to speed up investment particularly in new energy developments and the infrastructure roll out needed for high speed broadband throughout the country.

CIHT will be monitoring the content and passage of the Bill and providing updates on its website.