The RHA has welcomed moves by ministers to consider using Parliamentary powers to speed up the construction of major infrastructure projects by creating legislation which will bypass large parts of the planning process.
According to The Times, ministers are considering adopting a model similar to a Canadian scheme that was the brainchild of Mark Carney, the new prime minister and a former governor of the Bank of England.
The scheme, if adopted, could limit the ability of opponents to challenge projects in the courts and reduce scrutiny of some developments.
The One Canadian Economy Act was passed by Canada’s parliament in June and gives Carney’s government powers to fast-track national projects.
The Times reports that the Treasury is understood to be examining how a UK version could speed up the approval process for nationally significant infrastructure projects, such as offshore wind farms or even a third runway at Heathrow.
Proposals put forward by Labour Together, a pro-Labour think tank are being considered by ministers. If accepted, Parliament would be asked to use legislation to approve certain types of projects, that would limit the ability of opponents to block or delay developments via the courts.
The legislation would also give powers to ministers to fast-track the detailed consideration of projects, taking years off the planning process.
Responding to the report, Richard Smith, managing director, said: “To achieve economic growth, the UK needs a safe and modern road network that reduces congestion, connects communities, and maintains the flow of people, goods, and materials throughout the country.
“To get there, we’ve been calling for radical reform to the current planning and consenting processes to ensure that infrastructure projects can be completed swiftly.
“In recent years, the speed of decision-making for key projects has slowed significantly, delaying long overdue improvements to the road network. We therefore welcome any potential reforms to an outdated system.”
He added: “Fast-tracking plans and getting spades in the ground soon on road projects will increase productivity, create jobs, boost regional economies and create the sort of investment that towns and cities across the country need.
“Prioritising investment in the road network will be the key to creating the sort of conditions British businesses need to thrive. It will also be key to building and supplying the new schools and hospitals identified in the recent infrastructure strategy, and delivering the ambitious housebuilding targets the Government has set.”
The report from Labour Together takes Heathrow’s planned third runway as an example, arguing it could be built at speed, ahead of the next election, if three constraints are tackled head on. These are regulatory drag and risk aversion, political timetabling and the construction challenges of building a long runway.
It suggests a bespoke Heathrow Expansion Public Bill to compress the process for all consents into a single Parliamentary instrument and effectively eliminate the legal risk of judicial review, replacing it with a politically accountable process to tackle the first challenge.
It argues that by using the Public Bill route, programmed for seven months, Royal Assent could be delivered by early 2026. It adds that if ministers are prepared to override Standing Orders as the government did with Scunthorpe steelworks, the Bill could be enacted even faster.
It adds that construction delays could be avoided by replacing plans for a long runway with a short-haul runway for domestic and European destinations, which would avoid moving the M25 and would free long-haul capacity on the main runways.
