Planning reforms have been approved in the UK that are expected to reduce the application timelines for large-scale solar by 12 months, reducing red tape for projects in England and Wales.
From 24 July, the UK government will remove mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), a move that will streamline the planning process for solar projects with a capacity of more than 100 MW in England and 350 MW in Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate planning regimes.
Energy generating projects above these thresholds must apply for planning through the centralized NSIP process, rather than through local government planning agencies. This is usually more expensive and time-consuming than dealing with local planners, and the final decision on project approval is made by the relevant UK Government Minister.
Changes to UK planning law will remove a range of consultation obligations, including the obligation to consult statutory advisors, landowners, local authorities and the community before submitting an application for development consent to the government.
The regulatory update is expected to result in faster deployment of solar, wind and nuclear power plants, as well as other major infrastructure projects. The British government estimates that cutting 12 months from the planning process could potentially save the industry GBP 1 billion ($1.3 billion) over the course of the current legislature, which runs until summer 2029 at the latest.
In lieu of pre-application consultation, developers are more likely to receive technical support and advice from the Planning Inspectorate, the government body that deals with NSIP applications and planning objections.
The removal of pre-application requirements for NSIP projects is one of several measures included in the UK Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, which the UK government hopes will make project development easier across all sectors.
The legislation also includes provisions that make it more difficult to appeal against NSIP planning approvals, including community and local authority objections to large-scale solar projects. This was in response to a sharp increase in the number of legal challenges to the approval of UK NSIP projects in recent years, with a National Infrastructure Commission report showing that 58% of projects with development consent orders are now under judicial review – up from a long-term average of 10%.
Large-scale projects now enjoy greater legal protection once they obtain planning permission, as judges have been given more power to decide that appeals are unfounded on the basis of an oral hearing, rather than a lengthy legal battle.
This change has already protected one solar project, as an appeal against the 100 MW Stonestreet Green Solar was quickly rejected as an unfounded claim.
The update to the planning rules for NSIP projects follows the government’s decision to increase the threshold at which generation projects in England are assessed through the Planning Inspectorate inquiry. Previously, UK solar projects with a capacity of 50 MW were subject to the NSIP process, leading to what was described as a “planning dead zone” for projects between 50 MW and 100 MW.
The change comes as the government prepares to rule on several large-scale solar projects in the coming months, including the 740 MW One Earth Solar Farm, which must be approved or rejected by July 8. July 2026 has already been a busy month for utility-scale planning permission in the UK, with the 150MW Dean Moor Solar Farm and the 320MW Peartree Hill both securing development consents.
Commenting on the planning changes, UK Energy Secretary Michael Shanks said Britain “cannot afford to wait years” for approval of clean energy infrastructure.
