The UK government has announced a series of pro-growth measures under its Planning and Infrastructure Bill aimed at speeding up approvals for energy and infrastructure developments, including onshore wind and other renewables. The reforms are designed to remove planning barriers and cut delays that have slowed project deployment in recent years.
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key element is the plan to unlock around 3 GW of new onshore wind capacity, expected to attract up to £2 billion of investment into UK businesses while ensuring safeguards for defence and seismic detection systems remain in place.
The package also includes measures to streamline environmental oversight, allowing Natural England to prioritise cases that pose higher ecological risks or offer stronger opportunities for nature recovery. This is expected to accelerate decision-making for energy and infrastructure projects, including renewable generation and grid development.
Other provisions will speed up the approval of large-scale infrastructure, such as reservoirs and coastal projects, and extend support from the Nature Restoration Fund to include marine development. The government said these steps would help secure cleaner energy and strengthen the UK’s pathway towards achieving its 2030 clean power target.
