6.3 The Infrastructure Cost Review, published by HM Treasury in December 2010, found that a major reason for the high cost of building infrastructure in the UK, compared with other countries, was the delay and costs related to the UK's planning and consenting process.
6.4 This process is complex and stems from numerous different pieces of legislation. Planning consents for projects that fall within the definitions set by the 2008 Planning Act will be determined through the major infrastructure planning process. All other projects will be determined by the relevant Local Planning Authority or Authorities through the Town and Country planning process.
6.5 Infrastructure projects in both processes may also require additional consents related to the development typically related to issues such as heritage, highways or the environment. These 'non-planning' consents are determined by local authorities and various statutory bodies such as the Environment Agency and Natural England. The Infrastructure Cost Review noted that these third party consents contributed significantly to the costs of delivering infrastructure. For example, for road construction, environmental regulations and related third party consents add as much as 15 per cent to the cost of the infrastructure.