The Planning and Infrastructure Bill has received Royal Assent and will shortly come into force, marking a significant reform of England’s planning system.

The new Act is intended to accelerate the delivery of housing and infrastructure, supporting the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of the current Parliament. Ministers say the legislation will cut red tape, reduce delays and unblock developments stalled in the planning process.

Key measures include allowing local authorities to set their own planning fees to recover the full cost of assessing applications, limiting repeated legal challenges to major infrastructure schemes, and streamlining planning committees so that routine housing developments can be approved more quickly. Development corporations will also be granted enhanced powers to drive forward large-scale projects, including new towns and affordable housing.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the Act would “tear down barriers to growth” and help get “spades in the ground faster”, unlocking housing delivery alongside economic and environmental benefits.

Industry body Propertymark has welcomed the legislation but cautioned that meeting the 1.5 million homes target will be difficult. Chief Executive Nathan Emerson said that while planning reform is necessary, delivery will depend on having a sufficiently skilled workforce and robust supply chains in place.

He warned that without clear plans to address capacity and skills shortages, the government risks falling short of its target, and called for greater clarity on how and when the new homes will realistically be delivered.

The Act represents a major shift in planning policy, but its success will ultimately depend on whether reform translates into real-world delivery at scale.