Flagship planning Bill amendments to speed up reservoir and wind farm building

Housing Secretary Steve Reed is bringing forward measures to speed up the building of new water reservoirs and onshore wind farms.

A series of new additions to the Government’s flagship planning Bill could also see attempts to halt housing development through lengthy judicial reviews arrested.

The “pro-growth” package of measures will be introduced as a series of amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, ahead of its return to the House of Lords next week.

Mr Reed said: “Britain’s potential has been shackled by governments unwilling to overhaul the stubborn planning system that has erected barriers to building at every turn.

“It is simply not true that nature has to lose for economic growth to succeed.

“Sluggish planning has real world consequences. Every new house blocked deprives a family of a home. Every infrastructure project that gets delayed blocks someone from a much-needed job. This will now end.”

Among the key changes the Government is planning, non-water sector companies will be able to build reservoirs, which are automatically considered significant infrastructure projects, in a bid to bolster national water security.

Steps to pave the way for new clean energy are also included, which could result in more onshore wind farms being built.

Elsewhere, new powers would allow ministers to prevent applications being rejected by local councils while they consider using “call-in” powers to decide whether or not they should be approved.

And attempts to tie up and frustrate housing developments in judicial reviews could also be halted.

Mr Reed added: “The changes we are making today will strengthen the seismic shift already under way through our landmark Bill.

“We will ‘build, baby, build’ with 1.5 million new homes and communities that working people desperately want and need.”

The Government has pledged to break ground on 1.5 million new homes within the current Parliament.

To that end it is attempting to slash planning and building red tape, though recent house building stats have shown that fewer homes were approved between April and June 2025 than in the previous year.

Mr Reed branded the figures “unacceptable”.

In Labour’s bid to build more homes, the Housing Secretary announced at the Labour Party’s conference that work will begin on three “new towns” before the next election.

They are among 12 sites for development the Government has selected, which could collectively result in 300,000 houses being built across England.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill returns to the House of Lords for the first day of its report stage of scrutiny on Monday, October 20.

Conservative shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said: “Britain needs new housing and new infrastructure, and it needs it fast.

“But the only development Labour are expediting is the new Chinese super embassy in central London.

“After all the misleading statements they’ve put out about the China scandal, it’s no surprise Labour are now resorting to distraction techniques.”