Growth And Infrastructure Bill Passes Commons As Rookery SPP Gets Somewhere

Today's entry looks at progress on both the Growth and Infrastructure Bill and the Rookery South energy from waste project.

Growth and Infrastructure Bill

The Growth and Infrastructure Bill had its report stage and third reading in the House of Commons on Monday. As predicted, all the government amendments were passed and none of the other amendments were. The bill got its third reading by 273 votes to 231 - the 42 majority being somewhat short of the majority of 79 that the government enjoys overall. The Hansard report of the debate can be found here, but I've read it so you don't have to.

Debate on the bill at report stage was divided into three and a half sessions.

The first session focused on Nick Herbert MP's new clause that planning policy functions should only be exercised if there is, or will be, sufficient infrastructure to support new development, which was supported by a number of MPs.

The debate then took on a Welsh flavour with arguments about whether Labour's line was that energy projects of below 100MW should be devolved, or a higher figure. The Plaid Cymru MP whose area contains the Brechfa Forest West windfarm currently in the Planning Act regime complained that there was a 'huge democratic deficit' with it being decided in London - ironic, considering that giving decision-making to the Secretary of State was supposedly to restore the democratic deficit of the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).

The second session dwelt on the proposals to allow s106 agreements' affordable housing provisions to be revisited, and there was a brief discussion on town and village greens (the half session) before the guillotine came down.

The final session dealt with the employment clause about what are now 'employee shareholders'. Analogies ranged from Dickens (Scrooge) to Dizzee Rascal (bonkers).

The debate moved on to the third reading and therefore back to the general principles of the bill. Opinions differed.

Michael Fallon MP, business minister, said 'the Bill will provide for commencement on Royal Assent for clauses that support stalled sites being unblocked, broadband being rolled out, the removal of legislative blocks on the gas innovation network competition, and broadening the major infrastructure regime'.

Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, shadow planning minister, said 'the Bill will do little to promote growth or to encourage the delivery of infrastructure'.

Nick Raynsford, backbench Labour MP, said 'it is about obfuscation, smoke...