Planning: making the case for reform
Antony Oliver
12 December 2024
You may have noticed that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer highlighted the “measurable milestone” to fast-track planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects in his latest "plan for change" last week. You may also have been scratching you head wondering how that might actually be achievable.
Well as luck would have it, I sat down a couple of days earlier to record this week’s episode of The Infrastructure Podcast with UK infrastructureplanning guru
Robbie Owen, partner and head of infrastructure planning and government affairs at law firm Pinsent Masons
.
Robbie makes a great case for reform – certainly action – if we are to get anywhere near these milestones! Have a listenhere
In particular, we discuss the recommendations of the recent Banner Review into the Judicial Review process that has for too long bedevilled the progress of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and the likely impact and opportunities of the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill becoming law (some time in 2025 probably?!).
And as we move towards 2025 we also chew over the likely impact of the merger of the National Infrastructure Commission with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to create the new NISTA – the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority – and of course the reality of a promised ten-year infrastructure strategy.
We cover a lot of ground. It’s vitally important stuff and Robbie certainly, as always, brings it to life. So enjoy the episode.
I had the pleasure of recording a live episode of The Infrastructure Podcast at the recent Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit in Toronto, hosted by Bentley Systems , with Divya Shah, CFA , Managing Director of Trade & Transportation at the Canada Infrastructure Bank/ Banque de l'infrastructure du Canada (CIB) to talk about Canada’s infrastructure challenge: building faster, smarter, and greener. 🎧 Have a listen here - or find it wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Amazon or Youtube. With over $16.8 billion invested across 102 projects, Canada is reshaping the way it builds. The conversation explores how the CIB is acting as a catalyst for nation-building, unsticking private capital and supporting transformative projects - from clean power and green infrastructure to transit, broadband, and trade corridors. Canada’s challenges, to be honest, mirror those faced in the UK: geopolitical shifts, climate targets, rising costs, and the need for better federal, provincial, and Indigenous coordination. There is much to learn on this side of the Atlantic.
So what will £2.4bn buy London Luton Airport ? "More than just a terminal, I'm pleased to say," Nick Platts , managing director of Luton Rising , the community led owner of the airport tells The Infrastructure Podcast . Luton Rising is the owner of London Luton Airport , the UK’s only 100% community owned airport. Managing Director Nick Platts joins me on The Infrastructure Podcast this week to explain the £2.4bn plus expansion plans that he reckons will radically improve not only the airport’s function but also the local community that it supports. 🎧 Have a listen here - or find it wherever you get your podcasts — search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple or Amazon. Expansion is set to boost capacity from 19 to 32 million passengers a year and recently secured its Development Consent Order. It’s a story that’s bigger than just infrastructure. Luton Rising has already returned £500m+ to local services and community projects — and its expansion could contribute £1.5bn annually to the regional economy.
This week’s special episode was recorded live at The Building Centre in central London and takes us right to the heart of one of the biggest – and too often overlooked – questions in public policy: 👉 How do we re-establish the concept of decent neighbourhoods as a means to renew the country from the ground up? To help answer this I’m joined on The Infrastructure Podcast this week by Baroness Hilary Armstrong, Chair of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) and a lifelong advocate for communities and regeneration. 🎧 Have a listen here From her early days as a social worker in Sunderland, to shaping the New Deal for Communities as a Cabinet Minister in the Blair government, Hilary has spent her career at the intersection of politics, policy and place. We talk about what’s gone wrong, what’s working, and what can be done now to bring new hope to Britain’s neighbourhoods. And with the Government’s 1.5 million homes target and the New Towns Task Force plans for new communities pushing ahead, this is a conversation that couldn’t be more timely!!
What a pleasure to chat to Lord Ben Gascoigne on The Infrastructure Podcast this week about the UK House of Lords Built Environment Committee’s work on New Towns - and the UK Government’s ambition to tackle the housing crisis through a new generation of well-planned, infrastructure-led communities. I t’s a lively conversation that covers a lot of ground – have a listen here - or find it wherever you get your podcasts — search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple or Google. As Chair of the House of Lords Built Environment Committee, Ben talks us through the findings of the Committee’s latest report New Towns: Laying the Foundations — which calls for decisive national leadership, a dedicated cabinet minister, and a new national delivery agency to drive progress. With a target of 1.5 million homes over the next Parliament, the challenge is not just about numbers, but about creating thriving, sustainable places where people want to live and work. It’s clear that successful delivery the next generation of New Towns will need vision, coordination, and long-term commitment — the question is, does the government have the patience and time required to make it happen? Listen on Apple: Listen on Spotify: Liston on Amazon:
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This week’s episode of The Infrastructure Podcast is with Chris Williamson , the new President of RIBA - the Royal Institute of British Architects – and a man on a mission to revamp and renew the two centuries old institute to meet the challenges of today’s society. We recorded the episode in a quiet corner of the Building Centre in London - have a listen here - or find it wherever you get your podcasts — search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple or Google. Chris has built a career on designing spaces that connect people — from the Jubilee Line Extension to the Elizabeth Line and Melbourne Metro — and now he’s turning his attention to reconnecting the architectural profession itself. I really enjoyed chatting to Chris as we chewed over a huge range of issues: · his route to founding Weston Williamson and becoming a world leading architect · the role of architecture in shaping our buildings and infrastructure and the society, environment and communities we live in · the way RIBA can regain its relevance, lead on sustainability, embrace diversity, and rebuild public trust. Have a listen and let me know what you think?
This week I speak to Jamie Hossain , Senior Investment Director at Amber Infrastructure and Lead Portfolio Manager at International Public Partnerships Ltd (INPP) — fresh from leading Amber’s 7.6% investment in Sizewell C , one of the most significant energy projects in a generation. Have a listen here - or find it wherever you get your podcasts — search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple or Google. With Sizewell C’s Final Investment Decision now secured, the project marks a major moment for the UK’s net zero transition — a £38 billion twin to Hinkley Point C that will deliver reliable, low-carbon electricity for six million homes. For the first time, the British public will be co-owners of a nuclear power station, alongside EDF , Centrica , La Caisse and Amber Infrastructure. Around 70% of construction spend will flow to UK businesses, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and, all going well, saving the electricity system £2 billion a year. It’s a fascinating look at how institutional investors are shaping the future of UK infrastructure — and why projects like Sizewell C signal a new era for long-term, responsible investment.
In the latest episode of The Infrastructure Podcast , I speak with Peter Jones PhD CEng FICE , Operations Director at Skanska and Visiting Professor at Loughborough University , about the new Improving Construction Productivity report from the Construction Productivity Taskforce — and why tackling unproductive variability could be the single biggest opportunity to transform how we build. It’s here: - or find it wherever you get your podcasts — search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify , Apple or Google. From digital tools and design for productivity to better data, training, and supply chain collaboration, this report moves beyond theory — showing how practical, proven interventions are already driving measurable gains on real projects. Have a listen – let me know what you think.
In this week’s episode of The Infrastructure Podcast we dive into one of the most promising technologies in the UK’s net zero transition: Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS). What’s that then? Well listen in to my conversation with Alex Young , head of development at Evero Energy as we talk about plans to transform the Ince bioenergy plant in Cheshire. It’s here - or find it wherever you get your podcasts — search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple or Google. In short, BECCS combines renewable power generation with the permanent removal of COâ‚‚ — turning a challenge into an opportunity. Energy firm Evero is at the heart of this story is, the low-carbon energy-from-wastewood company which is transforming its Ince Biomass Plant into the UK’s first large-scale BECCS facility — InBECCS. · Capturing 217,000 tonnes of COâ‚‚ annually · Generating clean electricity for 100,000+ homes · Creating skilled green jobs while diverting waste wood from landfill It’s a fascinating conversation as we unpack the promise, pitfalls and potential of BECCS, and ask: How will the project be delivered; what role will InBECCS play in Britain’s carbon removal leadership; and how might it connect with the UK’s growing hydrogen economy?
Rethinking steel: From high-cost high-carbon industrial burden to a become the UK’s net zero catalyst for social and economic growth. In the latest episode of The Infrastructure Podcast , I speak to Ben Holmes , Head of Sustainability at Elliott Wood , about the challenge and opportunity facing UK steel production and how the approach on GPE 's 30 Duke Street project in London – the UK’s largest steel reuse project – can shift thinking. Listen in as Ben talks us through his five provocative “what if” scenarios here - or find it wherever you get your podcasts — search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple or Google. 🔹 What if… we thought generationally, not electorally: established a Steel Futures Fund with cross-party commitment, protected by statute? 🔹 What if… we created centres of excellence beyond production : if steel communities became Steel Innovation Districts? 🔹 What if… we made green steel the standard, not the exception? 🔹 What if… we connected steel to communities in new ways: if each steel facility had a Community Steel Trust with local ownership stakes? 🔹 What if… former steelworks became vibrant mixed-use districts? Steel is foundational to our modern world — yet it remains one of the most carbon-intensive materials we produce. With British Steel’s public sector rescue, we face a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine how we make, use, and value steel in the UK. Have a listen and let me know what you think?