1.98 The Government is also reforming the planning and consenting regime, which can significantly delay infrastructure projects and add to their delivery cost. This has been cited as a key reason for UK infrastructure being more expensive to build than in other European countries.10 In response to the Penfold Review, the Government will:
• ensure the key consenting and advisory agencies have a remit to promote sustainable development as soon as the National Planning Policy Framework is finalised. This will ensure that these bodies consider the impact of their decisions on sustainable economic growth and swiftly approve consents when it is appropriate to do so; and
• introduce a 13-week maximum timescale for the majority of non-planning consents, to speed up the consenting process and give certainty to developers. This will take immediate effect for government agencies.
1.99 In addition, the Government will:
• ensure that there is a more effective mechanism for applicants to obtain an award of costs, if there is an appeal against refusal of a planning permission where a statutory consultee has acted unreasonably, through measures to be implemented in summer 2012. The Government will also improve the performance of the key statutory consultees in responding swiftly to applications. This will include key statutory bodies bringing forward an improvement plan by spring 2012;
• build more flexibility into the new major infrastructure planning process, particularly in the pre-application phase, by summer 2012, as part of a light touch review of the process responding to feedback from users of the regime; and
• ensure that compliance with the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives does not lead to unnecessary costs and delays to development, while continuing to support the Directives' objectives. The Government is reviewing the Directives as currently implemented in England by Budget 2012 and is committed to tackling blockages for developments where compliance is particularly complex or has large impacts. In addition, the Government has announced progress on specific projects where compliance has already proved problematic, including Falmouth Harbour.11
1.100 These measures will complement the Government's wider reforms of the planning system. The Government has already made substantial progress through the Localism Act 2011 and the publication of the draft National Planning Policy Framework, which sets out a presumption in favour of sustainable development. Building on these reforms, the Government will:
• review planning appeals procedures, seeking to make the process faster and more transparent, improve consistency and increase certainty of decision timescales. Proposals will be brought forward for implementation in summer 2012;
• consult on a proposal to allow the reconsideration of those planning obligations agreed prior to April 2010 where development is stalled; and
• consult on proposals to allow existing agricultural buildings to be used for other business purposes such as offices, leisure and retail space, to make it easier for rural businesses to find the premises they need to expand.
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10 Infrastructure Cost Review, HM Treasury, December 2010.
11 Details are set out in the National Infrastructure Plan.