New Planning and Infrastructure Bill sets out welcome support for “biggest building boom in a generation”

Richard Risdon responds to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.  

Announcement today of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill sets out how the government intends to speed up delivery of new homes and key infrastructure.

Richard Risdon, executive board director and regional managing director for UK & Europe at Mott MacDonald, has responded: “The ambition of the Bill to remove planning blockers to infrastructure delivery while also delivering for the environment is good news for our sector and the country.

“The introduction of spatial planning in the Bill will enable better coordination of investment in different but interlinked areas such as transport and housing and provides a real world, place-based perspective.

“Spatial strategy provides significantly greater confidence to investors and suppliers by allowing them to better understand what new and improved infrastructure is needed, why, when and where. It also allows a deeper understanding of the implications of investment in a specific area and on the wider infrastructure need across regions and nationally.

“We support the development of strategic spatial plans within sectors that are then aggregated to give a detailed national picture of infrastructure needs and a timeline and pipeline for investment. Spatial plans are especially important for leveraging additional economic and social benefits when infrastructure development supports nature’s recovery and enhancement.

“Overall, the Bill appears to be a step forward that should open the doors to investment in new infrastructure and we stand ready to deliver.”