Planning: the case for reform with Robbie Owen

In today’s podcast we take a deep dive into planning and how look specifically at how the recent Banner Review might accelerate the delivery of the UK’s NSIPs - Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

Reform is certainly overdue. Nick Smallwood, out-going chief executive of the government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority highlighted the UK’s poor track record of infrastructure delivery at the recent TIP Live Summit in London. There he pulled no punches and said: “We take far too long to deliver infrastructure planning. It typically takes as long to get through the planning regime as it does to deliver an asset. That's simply not acceptable. We need to do far better.”

So how can we do better? Well, we have the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill coming down the tracks and reform of the entire planning process is clearly on the government’s agenda with the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner laying out big plans for radical reform with virtually her first strike of the pen. 

But reform of the approach to planning around NSIPs has been on the cards for some time. 

As such, the Banner Review was commissioned by the last government at the start of 2024 under then-Secretary of State Michael Gove - and has seen Lord Charles Banner KC examine and propose improvements to the planning and approval process.

It is fair to say that the issue is coming to a head. Banner published his recommendations on 28th October, providing a number of routes to improving the system, addressing challenges such as delays, legal challenges, and increasing costs, particularly delay caused by the judicial review process that impacts large infrastructure projects​.

So as we now close in on the end a nine week call for evidence which closes on 30 December it is a great moment to find out about the key issues by welcoming Robbie Owen to the podcast today. 

Robbie is a partner and head of Infrastructure Planning and Government Affairs at Pinsent Masons and certainly one of – if not THE leading expert in the field.

Resources
The Banner Review
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill
National Infrastructure Planning Association
National Infrastructure Commission
Pinsent Masons
About NISTA