Planning and Infrastructure

We need economic grow to pay for the public services we all want. Growth will deliver more jobs affordable homes and clean energy. But it must be done in such a way that protects our natural environment and wildlife 

The Government’s new Planning and Infrastructure Act will fast track 150 major infrastructure projects and set about making Britain a clean energy superpower. At the same time, this bill will strengthen and fund important wildlife protections. The Nature Restoration Fund will force developers to make appropriate contributions to offset their environmental impact, and Natural England will prepare Environmental Delivery Plans to address the impact development has on protected sites and species.  

The Government aims to build 1.5 million safe and decent homes by the end of this Parliament. This bill will help support these milestones while upholding developers’ environmental obligations. I have been committed to building more social housing for over twenty years and, while there is an important balance to be struck, we must not lose sight of the current and future generations who desperately need affordable and intelligently built homes. I spoke about the impact of cumbersome regulation on regenerating the Barnsbury estate here.