Broken Britain must crush the Nimbys to get building again

Telegraph

21-04-2025

On Sept 27 1825, the Geordie civil engineer George Stephenson connected Stockton with Darlington, as he opened the world's first public railway.
Britain was doing what it did best: building.
The impact of the work on that single stretch of track was revolutionary – kickstarting the modern industrial age and completely reshaping economic and social life.
The railways are one triumph in a long list of Britain's proud infrastructure past. In the century prior, we built the world's first large-scale dam in Scotland and the first human-made canal in Bridgewater.
In the 19th century, the Victorians got cracking. John McAdam revolutionised road travel. Brunel built the world's first underwater tunnel under the Thames.
London's Metropolitan line was the world's first underground metro. In the same city, Joseph Bazalgette built the world's first integrated sewerage system. In the first half of the 20th century, Britain continued to lead the way, this time in nuclear power – where not only did Britain first split the atom, but we built the world's first commercial nuclear power station at Calder Hall.
We list these achievements not to boorishly hark back to our country's former glory, but to remind us how prosperity was painstakingly built – brick by brick, track by track – to inspire us to look forward with hope and possibility.
In today's Britain, things are very different. Looking at our ability to deliver new projects, from transport to clean energy, it's no exaggeration to say Britain has lost its knack for getting things done.
As a result, economic growth and the distribution of prosperity that comes with it, has stagnated. Successive governments have failed to tackle an acute housing crisis – exacerbating the intergenerational wealth crisis.
We have not built a new nuclear power station or a new reservoir in over 30 years despite our population increasing by around 8m.
We were unable to deliver HS2 to better connect our regions. If you knock on doors like we do regularly around the country, we're often told Britain feels broken – 'nothing seems to work' any more.
Failure to deliver major projects and their economic benefits has begun to grind people down and create a sense of disillusionment. Britain wasn't always like this.
Years of political turbulence and a decade of economic austerity has not helped. But in addition – like a frog brought to the boil slowly – an ever-increasing myriad of well-meaning regulations and laws have choked our country's spirit for getting things done. Consenting times have increased. Judicial reviews have spiked, creating largesse for legal services.
As a result of delays, construction costs have sky-rocketed. Our roads have the highest cost-overruns relative to comparable countries. Rail construction is twice as expensive compared to the global average.
Record numbers of households live in temporary accommodation, with over 1.3m on social housing waiting lists. Energy projects are waiting over a decade to connect to the grid.
Britain is now one of the most expensive countries in the world to build nuclear power stations. The same regulations are also not achieving the outcomes nature needs. A 2022 Environment Agency report noted that the UK 'is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world'. Only 14pc of England's rivers achieve 'good ecological status'.
Approximately one in six species are at risk of extinction. Natural England's chairman has said the planning system isn't working for people or our planet. Britain urgently needs change.
This is why the Government's flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill is critical at this juncture. The Bill improves clarity for nationally significant infrastructure projects to prevent unnecessary delays, and sets limits for the consultation processes around development consent orders with a reduced list of statutory consultees.
This will stop incentives to over-consult, or to lodge unfounded objections not actually designed to win on merit, but cynically to stop projects by increasing costs and threatening investor confidence.
The new Nature Restoration Fund will create a strategic fund to better protect species and habitats on a national basis – using money currently poured into hyperlocal mitigations more efficiently elsewhere. Common sense reform of the outdated 'first come, first served' grid will be replaced with a 'first ready, first connected' system prioritising strategic connections.
The Bill's approach to strategic planning – extending powers of mayors to call in and determine major applications – will bolster regional co-ordination. These are all positive steps, but as they stand they are not enough to lift Britain out of its malaise. Communities will rightfully be key partners in the delivery of key infrastructure too.
As the Bill progresses, the Government must be prepared to go further, faster and to face down wrecking amendments. The changes to the Compulsory Purchase Order system could save cash for authorities but leaves the door open to a public backlash.
After all the fuss around bat tunnels, they may hang around after all. The bill proposes new strategic Environmental Delivery Plans (EDP) – funded by Nature Restoration funds and managed by Natural England – to replace site-specific mitigations.
However, it's important to be frank about its limitations. EDPs could set the bar higher than current regulations. Given many environmental features are localised, gains, especially for rare species, at a regional level could be difficult – leaving open the return of bat tunnels.
Given the urgent crises facing the country, ministers need to show strong leadership. We cannot do the same things and expect different results. If not, we will be having the same debate years from now about a rare 2mm snail holding up a major project – just as it did for the A34 Newbury Bypass, adding millions to the cost.
The Bill could tighten judicial reviews without undermining access to justice. The Centre for British Progress suggested major projects could have an automatic expedition of legal challenges.
Alternatively, the Government could narrow the rules to groups that demonstrate a direct, substantial interest. It could also reform the outdated requirements for pre-submission consultation in the 2008 Planning Act.
Proper resourcing is required to turn words into deeds. The Nature Restoration Fund relies on Natural England having the resources and incentives to develop win-win plans for nature and development. Without investing in grid infrastructure, valuable projects will still experience decade-long wait times.
Local authorities also need resourcing, given cuts they have faced since 2010. A bolstered bill alone is not a silver bullet. Frequently, businesses point to not being able to rally suppliers and financiers given they lack the clear infrastructure strategy and project pipelines which give investors confidence.
The imminent 10-year infrastructure strategy will also be key. With support from Labour MPs – there is a major opportunity to support the Government to go further and faster – to reduce regulatory hurdles in exceptional circumstances, to further tighten speculative judicial reviews, and provide proper resources to build at pace.
Britain's innovators built the modern world. Today we stand at a crossroads.
On one side – more of the same that lets down communities and nature. On the other, an end to the housing crisis. Cheap, clean electricity. Better transport links. Less pollution. Lower emissions. Nature protected. Clean rivers. Jobs. Growth.
If we get this moment right, in future decades, we could get Britain back to its rightful place as an industrial superpower.