Planning Bill update: where are we now, and what are we calling for?

The government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill has just completed its committee stage in the House of Commons. Next week, it enters the report stage, where all MPs will get the chance to debate and propose further amendments before the Bill moves to the House of Lords.

This is a pivotal moment. With the right changes, the Bill could reshape planning for the better — supporting affordable homes, making the most of our limited land, accelerating rooftop solar, and protecting both nature and local voices. We’re backing several key amendments to help make that vision a reality.

‘Speeding up planning’ at nature’s expense

The government’s goal is to speed up planning — particularly for housing and energy infrastructure like solar panels, wind turbines, and pylons.

To do this, the Bill introduces:

• Environmental Development Plans (EDPs) and a Nature Restoration Fund – designed to allow more development, while offsetting environmental harm with new biodiversity projects.

• Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs) – long-term plans for how development will happen across larger areas of the country.

But there’s a catch. Many conservation groups — including Wildlife and Countryside Link, whose amendments we support — are sounding the alarm. There’s a real risk that developers will be allowed to damage nature locally and simply ‘make up for it’ miles away. That’s not restoration — it’s displacement.

We believe this creates a false choice between nature and development. We can, and must, have both. As one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, the UK should be restoring wildlife habitats — not trading them in.

What’s happened so far?

The committee stage — where a small group of MPs goes through the Bill line by line — has now finished. Unfortunately, with more than half the committee made up of Government MPs, no opposition amendments were accepted.

But this isn’t the end of the road. The upcoming Report stage will allow all MPs to join the debate and propose changes. After that, the Bill heads to the House of Lords, where there’s likely to be further scrutiny. The government is keen to move quickly — but there’s still time to influence the outcome.

What we want to see

We’re calling on the government to amend the Bill so it truly delivers for people, nature and the countryside. That means:

• Building more genuinely affordable and social homes

• Protecting local democracy and public input in planning decisions

• Making better use of land – especially by reusing previously developed (brownfield) sites and building denser, more vibrant towns and cities

We’re backing several amendments to achieve this, including:

• Setting binding targets for affordable and social housing

• Giving communities a stronger voice in Spatial Development Strategies

• Making solar panels standard on all new car parks

• Prioritising brownfield development over building on green spaces

Get involved

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill has the potential to shape planning, and the countryside, for years to come. We’ll soon be launching an action to help you contact your MP and make sure your voice is heard. In the meantime, join our mailing list so you’re always kept up to date with our work. You can also sign our handraiser calling for Ed Miliband stand by his word and unleash a rooftop solar revolution.