The Planning Act 2008 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom intended to speed up the process for approving major new infrastructure projects such as airports, roads, harbours, energy facilities such as nuclear power and waste facilities. This was felt to be necessary after the 8-year approval process for Heathrow Terminal 5. Along with the Climate Change Bill and the Energy Bill this bill was considered by the Brown administration to be one of the "three legislative pillars of the Government's strategy to secure long-term prosperity and quality of life for all". The Infrastructure Planning Commission has since been abolished and replaced with the Planning Inspectorate as of 31 March 2012.
Key aims
A new body, the Infrastructure Planning Commission would make the decisions
These decisions would be based on new national policy statements
Hearings and the decision-making process would be timetabled
The new regime would be used for major energy projects
The Secretary of State would not be able to have the final say on major infrastructure decisions A new Community Infrastructure Levy on developments would finance infrastructure (money would be raised from developers to pay for the facilities needed as a consequence of new developments, such as schools, hospitals and sewage plants). Planning appeals in relation to minor developments would be heard by a panel of local councillors and not by a planning inspector.
Positions
Political parties
Labour
Labour introduced the Bill that became the Planning Act, although some 60 Labour members signed a Commons Motion opposing plans to set up an independent commission in May 2008.
Conservative
The Conservatives were opposed to the Infrastructure Planning Commission while in opposition with parts of the act amended by the Coalition Government via the Localism Act 2011.
Prime Minister David Cameron said before the 2010 election that "This quango is going to be almost entirely divorced from the processes of democracy. That is wrong. People need a planning system in which they feel they have a say – both at national and local level. That is why this Bill is getting such widespread opposition from so many different quarters"
The coalition government have, however, retained the concept of National Policy Statements, the authorisation regime and the Community Infrastructure Levy
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats were also opposed the Infrastructure Planning Commission. Previously opposed to nuclear power, they are also granted the ability to vote against the nuclear power National Policy Statement when it comes before Parliament.
Environmental groups
Friends of the Earth say that the government must make Climate Change a central consideration in the decision-making process.
In November 2007 major environmental groups described the Planning Bill as a 'Developer's charter' and the head of planning at the RSPB expressed concern saying that although the minister claimed that the bill will help protect the environment that it was more likely to aid developers trying to push through major schemes with scant regard to wildlife and the countryside and could "fast track environmental harm".
Trade unions and businesses
John Cridland, then Deputy Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry supported the bill saying that it was in the national interest and would facilitate the building of infrastructure that will help Britain protect its energy security, build renewable power sources to cut carbon, and invest for the future".
Nationally significant infrastructure projects
The Planning Act 2008 introduced a number of changes towards seeking development consent nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) with the aim to overhaul the planning process in order to save costs and increase efficiency.
Among these changes included the formation of the Infrastructure Planning Commission which served as an independent examining body for all applications relating to major infrastructure projects on 1 October 2009. The IPC has since been abolished and replaced by the Planning Inspectorate on 31 March 2012. The responsibilities of the IPC were transferred to the National Infrastructure Directorate of the Planning Inspectorate.