When Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer unveiled a late‑night tweak to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 14 October 2025, environmental groups erupted in fury, calling the timing "cynical" and a direct threat to Britain’s nature‑recovery goals.
The amendments, tabled by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, grant ministers fresh authority to issue “holding directions” that stop local councils from refusing planning applications while a call‑in decision is under review. Previously, that power only applied when councils were about to approve a scheme.
During the Planning and Infrastructure Bill amendment announcementLondon, ministers framed the package as a “pro‑growth” push to "unshackle Britain to get building". In plain English, the new provisions:
These tweaks target the 48 “National Significant Infrastructure Projects” announced in September 2025, 22 of which involve energy works covering 1,850 hectares of protected land.
The Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition – a partnership of 73 groups including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the National Trust and the Woodland Trust – issued a joint statement on 15 October 2025 denouncing the changes as a “mockery of the government’s legally binding commitment to halt nature decline by 2030 under the Environment Act 2021.”
ClientEarth’s senior lawyer Polly Higgins warned that the amendments “deliberately weaken local democratic oversight” and threaten communities' ability to safeguard their environment.
Even the Local Government Association, led by Chief Executive Joanne McCartney, warned that councils are being forced into an “impossible position” between housing targets and legal environmental duties.
Planning expert Dr. Sarah Smith, head of the Spatial Planning Research Unit at University College London, explained that the holding‑direction power creates a de‑facto approval route that sidesteps required environmental assessments under Regulation 40 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017.
Meanwhile, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed that 37 % of the fast‑tracked sites overlap with Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and 12 projects sit in Special Areas of Conservation protected by the EU Habitats Directive.
ClientEarth has already filed pre‑action protocols, hinting at a potential judicial‑review challenge under Section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998, arguing that the new powers breach Article 8 – the right to respect for private and family life, which includes a healthy environment.
The amendments trace back to the July 2025 “Unlocking Growth” report by the Infrastructure Commission for England. That document highlighted 217 delayed planning applications in Q1 2025, costing roughly £1.2 billion in stalled investment according to Treasury figures.
Parliament’s timetable is tight: the Bill must clear its Report Stage in the House of Lords by 28 October 2025, receive Royal Assent, and be implemented before the parliamentary recess on 5 November 2025. The House of Commons Information Office posted the full schedule on 1 January 2025.
At first glance, the changes sound like bureaucratic minutiae, but they could reshape the built environment across the country. Residents in a council‑run town may suddenly find a proposed housing estate approved without the usual local scrutiny, potentially eroding green spaces, increasing traffic, and putting pressure on services.
On the flip side, the government argues that faster approvals will unlock billions for infrastructure, helping meet the housing target of 300,000 new homes per year and supporting the UK’s net‑zero pledges by delivering low‑carbon energy projects sooner.
What we’ll watch for is whether the promised economic boost outweighs the environmental cost, and whether courts will step in to preserve the democratic checks that the amendments appear to sideline.
Councils will no longer be able to refuse a planning application while the Secretary of State reviews a call‑in. In practice, this means a proposal can stay on the table indefinitely, effectively granting developers a provisional green light even if local impact assessments flag concerns.
The amendments chip away at the 12‑month lapse rule for judicial‑reviewed permissions and squeeze the judicial‑review process to a single stage. Both moves weaken the ability of NGOs and local residents to challenge projects that threaten SSSIs, Special Areas of Conservation, or other protected habitats.
Groups can still pursue a one‑stage judicial review, but the window is tighter and the grounds narrower. ClientEarth is already preparing a claim under the Human Rights Act, arguing that the changes infringe on the public’s right to a healthy environment.
The Bill must survive its Report Stage in the House of Lords by 28 October 2025, receive Royal Assent shortly after, and be implemented before the parliamentary recess begins on 5 November 2025.
The Treasury estimates that removing procedural bottlenecks could release about £1.2 billion of stalled investment. However, critics warn that any short‑term gain may be offset by long‑term environmental damage and the costs of mitigating habitat loss.
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