Rachel Reeves is poised to fast-track clean energy projects in England and Wales with planning reforms to curb the use of judicial reviews against new infrastructure, the Treasury has said.
Under the chancellor’s proposals, parliament will be able to designate and approve the most important clean energy projects as of “critical national importance”, as part of a wider package seeking to boost the UK’s energy security and soften the economic fallout from the Iran war.
The reforms would help to accelerate low-carbon energy projects in England and Wales by providing a safeguard against judicial reviews on all but human rights grounds. These measures would not apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where planning decisions are a devolved matter.
The Treasury set out the plans as pressure grows on Westminster to accelerate its energy infrastructure development to meet the nationwide goal to build a virtually zero-carbon power system by 2030.
Renewable energy developers have long bemoaned the difficulty in gaining planning permission for projects, from offshore windfarms to onshore solar and battery storage developments, which have compounded the waiting times to connect to Great Britain’s electricity grid.
A spokesperson for the Treasury said vital infrastructure delivery had been “delayed by judicial reviews of projects the country needs”, adding: “The chancellor won’t stand for it any longer and is bringing forward bold changes to support delivery.
“She is clear that parliament must take back control – to get Britain building the power plants, windfarms and grid connections that will bring bills down, strengthen our energy security, and deliver growth in every part of our country.”
Last year a record number of renewable energy projects were given the go-ahead in Great Britain, according to analysis by the consultancy Cornwall Insight. It found that the energy capacity of new battery, wind, and solar projects that received approval climbed to 45GW, 96% higher than in 2024.
However, it also found the pace of projects starting up lagged behind, largely as a result of long construction timelines and grid connection delays.
Martin Pibworth, the chief executive of SSE, one of the UK’s biggest renewable energy developers, said it was important that planning decisions were not held up unnecessarily because delays have a real cost.
“Speeding up clean power and grid projects matters for one simple reason. It brings bills down. The faster we electrify heat and transport with homegrown electricity, the less exposed we are to volatile global fuel markets,” he said.
“Every stalled windfarm or grid upgrade means families remain more exposed to gas prices we don’t control.”
The Treasury said: “For other infrastructure, such as transport and water projects, the government will introduce a fixed legal challenge window. When this ends, planning consent could be updated to address “any legitimate issues.”
The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) said it was the “right thing to do if we are serious about growth, energy security and getting Britain building again”.
ACE’s director, Ben Brittain, said: “Sensible limits on judicial review for nationally significant clean energy, transport and water projects, alongside wider planning reform, can help accelerate delivery while maintaining confidence in the process.”
The proposal comes amid a series of policy moves by Reeves despite uncertainty around the future of Keir Starmer as prime minister.
On Tuesday it emerged that the government asked UK supermarkets to consider freezing the prices of some essential foodstuffs to protect the public from inflation fuelled by the Middle East conflict.
Reeves is expected to announce measures to help households with the cost of living on Thursday, on which she is also planning to cancel a planned rise in fuel duty.
