What Kwateng Said on Investment Zones – and What he Implied- His Speech -Environmental Regulations Will be Stremlined not Scrapped -The Growth Plan – EU Regs will be ‘dissapplied’ New Bill Coming on This

Treasury Blue Book Growth plan

Accelerated development – there will be designated development sites to deliver growth and
housing. Where planning applications are already in flight, they will be streamlined and we will work
with sites to understand what specific measures are needed to unlock growth, including disapplying
legacy EU red tape where appropriate. Development sites may be co-located with, or separate to, tax
sites, depending on what makes most sense for the local economy.

Err not in his speech

Which said

New Investment Zones will bring business investment and release land for new homes in communities across the country. And we’re accelerating new road, rail and energy projects by removing restrictions that have slowed down progress for too long.

It was also confirmed that the government is in discussion with 38 local and mayoral combined authority areas in England including Tees Valley, South Yorkshire and West of England to set up Investment Zones in specific sites within their area. Each Investment Zone will offer generous, targeted and time limited tax cuts for businesses and liberalised planning rules to release more land for housing and commercial development. These will be hubs for growth, encouraging investment in new shopping centres, restaurants, apartments and offices, and creating thriving new communities.

In a further move to grow the economy, the Chancellor announced plans to accelerate new roads, rail and energy infrastructure. In 2021 it took 65 per cent longer to get consent for major infrastructure projects than in 2012. New legislation will cut barriers and restrictions, making it quicker to plan and build new roads, speeding up the deployment of energy infrastructure like offshore wind farms and streamlining environmental assessments and regulations.

Note a dramatic shift in tone since mid week – perhaps they read my blog that it was impratical – nah just made sure did not make headlines by burying it hopeing stupid jounos didnt spot it and made headlines So not quite streamlinuing the regs (the Grove Plan) not scapping them (the silly Truss plan, already her first u turn for the Iron Weathervane, no facing all ways at once- Trus turns and spins but she doesnt u-turn as she is always and forver right (and left and up at down all at once) but then the real policy not annouced in parliament talks about ‘dissaplying them’ which will require a new bill as is unlawful

However the Guardian reported the speech said

Addressing planning, Kwarteng says the system is too slow.

The government will bring forward a bill “to unpick the complex patchwork of planning restrictions and EU derived laws that constrain our growth”.

Not unpick not scrap or dissplay – note the langayuge three contradictory statements on the Habitate Regs. The Iron Weathervane turns to face all directions at once.

The Guardian Report

Planning changes under consideration are thought to include removing restrictions on height limits and potentially ditching requirements for affordable housing alongside developments, as well as other regulations such as environmental rules.

In a sign of the breakneck pace at which sweeping new measures are being introduced, the Treasury said it was unable to provide details of how much they would cost because “full details on implementation are yet to be determined”.

Earlier they Said

The provision of affordable housing as part of wider construction projects could be ditched under plans being considered by ministers to deregulate the planning system in about a dozen “investment zones”.

Sources said the controversial move was being contemplated ahead of a mini-budget by the chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, on Friday outlining the government’s growth strategy and promised tax cuts.

Swathes of environmental and planning regulations are expected to be ditched to “drive growth and speed up development” in the first batch of roughly 12 investment zones.

The zones are modelled on freeports, and are meant to encourage more business investment by granting firms tax relief and cutting red tape.

The prime minister, Liz Truss, mooted the idea during her leadership campaign, saying it would help with her plans to “unleash investment and boost economic growth right across the country”.

Councils began expressing interest in applying to become investment zones this week and Kwarteng hopes to be able to point to the uptake as proof of the policy’s popularity in his speech to the House of Commons later this week, insiders said.

A letter from the levelling up department sent to local authorities and seen by the Guardian said that one of the main benefits of becoming an investment zone would be “designated planning sites to build for growth and housing”.

It added: “Where planning applications remain necessary, they will be radically streamlined. Planning sites may be co-located with, or separate to, tax sites, depending on what makes most sense for the local economy.”

While each deal will be bespoke, local authorities granted investment zone status may be able to let developers circumvent requirements for affordable housing to be built alongside any proposed new property, according to government sources.

And planning obligations like section 106 agreements, which require developers to mitigate pressure on the local area by building or paying for additional infrastructure projects in exchange for planning permission, could also be scaled back in the first batch of investment zones.