The Planning and Infrastructure Bill was introduced in March 2025 to support the delivery of the Government’s Plan for Change milestones 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.
The Bill proposes a series of measures to improve planning processes to do this. However, with planning delays impacting the length of time it takes for projects to be brought forward, we recommend further measures to ensure government housing and infrastructure targets are met with high design standards.
What is in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill?
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is legislation aimed at speeding up and streamlining the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure through reforms to the planning system.
One of the key elements of the Bill is a requirement for strategic planning. This will be implemented through Spatial Development Strategies, which will guide local plans, identify key infrastructure requirements, strategic locations for development and apportion housing need appropriately. The Bill also proposes changes to how planning committees make decisions by mandating training for committee members.
What are our recommendations to Government?
• Ensure that a vision for high-quality design is a core component of Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs). There is currently no requirement for SDSs to include a design vision for the area they cover. A design vision is a clear articulation of what an area or project should be like in the future, developed with the local community and stakeholders. This includes identity and character, sustainability and resilience, connectivity and accessibility, and aesthetic and user experience. The inclusion of a design vision is vital for high-quality design to be prioritised in the strategic planning process.
• Provide comprehensive resource to local planning departments to allow them to meet the requirements set out in the Bill. Planning departments have faced severe cuts and continue to experience major skills shortages. For local authorities to be able to meet the requirements set out in the Bill and ensure development is high-quality, they must be allocated the necessary resource. This should include access to design expertise such as architects.
• Institute mandatory training for planning committee members and gives consideration to the benefits of dedicated design training for committee members. We welcome provisions in the Bill to require planning committee members to undertake training on key elements of the planning process. In addition to training on the planning process, planning committee members could benefit from undertaking specific design training. It is also important that knowledge and understanding gained through the introduction of mandatory training is shared more widely to create as much benefit as possible throughout the entire planning system. This includes ensuring that planning officers also benefit from additional training where appropriate.
What amendments to the Bill are we calling for?
To ensure high-quality design is at the heart of development, we are calling for an amendment to be made to the Bill. This would require the following clause to be inserted in Chapter 2 of the Bill:
A spatial development strategy must contain a design vision for the strategy area, including provision to ensure design quality throughout all new development.
Explanatory note
This amendment introduces a requirement for spatial development strategies to include a design vision, defined as a clear articulation of what an area or project should be like in the future, developed with the local community and stakeholders. Design quality is to be defined as development that is proactively and strategically planned to meet the needs of residents and communities in practice, and which adheres to principles of safety, sustainability and accessibility.
How are we influencing the Bill as it progresses through Parliament?
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is currently making its way through Parliament.
First through the House of Commons and then the House of Lords, the Bill presents an opportunity to brief Parliamentarians and influence the direction of planning legislation. Through our written evidence to the Bill Committee and utilising our relationships across the built environment and with Members of Parliament and Peers, we are working to build support for our recommendations and amendment.
Bills progress through Parliament at different speeds, depending on factors such as the availability of Parliamentary time and the level of political contention. However, the Government has identified planning reform as a priority and is likely to move quickly to enact the provisions in the Bill.
