BRITS living near new power pylons could get £250 knocked off their energy bills every year under Labour’s planning overhaul.
Ministers confirmed today families within 500 metres of new or upgraded power infrastructure could receive annual payments over ten years as compensation.
The move is intended to reduce opposition to renewable energy infrastructure[/caption]
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is pushing through sweeping reforms to the planning system[/caption]
Housing and planning minister Alex Norris insisted “communities need to share the benefits” of the UK’s move towards clean energy.
He told Sky News: “If you’re making that sacrifice of having some of the infrastructure in your community, you should get some of the money back. So we’re making that commitment , £250-a-year if you are near those pylons.
“So we think that’s a fair balance between people who are making that commitment to the country themselves, well they should be rewarded for that.”
It comes as Deputy PM and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner is pushing sweeping reforms to slash red tape and speed up housebuilding — aiming for 1.5 million new homes this Parliament.
Ms Rayner said planning rules need urgent reform to be “sensible and balanced,” ending unnecessary delays that hold up vital housing projects.
The Government today also confirmed tough new laws banning climate activists and Nimby locals from launching repeated, baseless legal challenges against vital infrastructure projects.
More than 10,000 working court days have been lost due to objections, costing taxpayers millions.
Under the new rules, opponents will no longer get “three bites of the cherry” to stall nationally significant projects, like prisons, nuclear plants, and roads.
The paper-based objection stage is being scrapped entirely, while frivolous cases thrown out by judges will now be blocked from appeals.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook told The Sun: “The delays caused by excessive and meritless judicial review challenges, and the costs they add to development, have real world consequences for working people in the form of higher energy bills, longer commutes, and pressures on water supplies.
“The reforms we are making to legal challenges against major infrastructure projects will unlock investment and speed up the delivery of homes, railways, and clean energy projects—so that communities can see the benefits in their homes and communities sooner.”
Officials are also set to consult on removing Sport England, the Theatres Trust and the Garden History Society from the list of bodies legally required to be consulted on planning decisions, while the scope of others who get to give input is set to be narrowed.
But the Theatres Trust has rejected the idea that it is an impediment to growth and called for Government to implement a data-led process as part of the consultation.
It said it is “confident” it “pro-actively engages with all local planning authorities and developers and provides our advice in a timely and efficient manner”.
Meanwhile, Sport England has said the purpose of its remit in the planning system is to protect playing fields and other spaces for physical activity.
“Britain’s childhood obesity crisis is rising and low physical activity levels cost our economy £7.4 billion a year, making it vital we protect the places that local communities can be active,” a spokesman said.
