Planning and Infrastructure Reform Must Benefit Business

12th March 2025

Responding to the unveiling of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the BCC, said:?

“It’s encouraging to see the Government has heeded our calls to tackle the problems of the UK’s worn-out infrastructure to fire up growth.?

“These reforms have great potential to unlock bottlenecks in our planning system, upgrade transport, energy and digital connectivity and give businesses the tools they need to expand.

“Planners, engineers and businesses have been waiting on these changes for a long time and now the government must press on and deliver them at pace.

“It is imperative that we put our economy on the front foot, so we can compete in an increasingly competitive and protectionist world. But business must be fully involved in this process at the local, regional and national level to make it work effectively.

“What is also missing is the planning skills and resources to back these reforms up in local economies across the country. There is a dearth of skilled planners at the Local Authority level that desperately needs addressing.

“That’s why business is donating funds to train and upskill more council planners. Our joint initiative with business and the Royal Town Planning Institute will get at least 100 more planners into Local Authorities over the next five years to unlock development and growth.

“Pro-growth planning polices, coupled with more planning expertise on the ground, could truly be game-changing.”