More than 100 businesses call on the Government for planning reform to deliver net zero and restore nature

Letter calls on the Government to reform England’s planning system to bring it into line with the Climate Change and Environment Acts
  • A joint letter to the Prime Minister and three Secretaries of State, coordinated by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), has been signed by more than 100 businesses from across the built environment sector
  • The letter calls on the Government to reform England’s planning system to bring it into line with the Climate Change and Environment Acts
  • Signatories support urgent amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill currently going through Parliament

More than 100 UK businesses have joined UKGBC in writing to the Government to call for urgent reform to the planning system to tackle the UK’s deepening housing and climate crises

Signatories to the letter, including some of the most influential businesses in the built environment sector, call on the Prime Minister to amend the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to directly align the planning system with the UK’s climate commitments and adaptation goals under the Climate Change Act, and nature restoration targets under the Environment Act.

The letter demonstrates the breadth and depth of support for these reforms, which will break down existing barriers to sustainable development by enabling consistent direction, encouraging investment, and slashing delays.

The coalition warns the Government that the planning system is not providing a consistent approach to handling climate change and environmental considerations, creating delays, costs, and legal challenges.

Meanwhile, aligning planning reform with climate goals has received consistent support from the public, UK businesses, the Climate Change Committee, and was recognised in the Mission Zero Review, by Chris Skidmore MP, as playing a key role in building a future green economy.

Louise Hutchins, UKGBC Head of Policy and Public Affairs said:

“England’s inconsistent planning system is not delivering the change we need to tackle the climate and nature breakdown. Our business and local authority members are faced with endless barriers, delays and legal challenges to the kind of low carbon nature-friendly development we all want to see.

Today we’re urging the Government to back simple changes to planning law through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that can help fix this. By introducing a clear legal imperative for planning decisions at all levels to align with our Climate Change and Environment Acts, we can unlock huge investment and momentum towards the beautiful neighbourhoods and low carbon infrastructure the country urgently needs.”

The full letter can be read here, and coverage in the Financial Times can be viewed here.

Businesses which have signed the letter:

2050 Materials  

Acclaro Advisory  

AECOM  

AGP Sustainable Real Assets  

Allies and Morrison  

Amro Partners  

Apex Acoustics Ltd  

Atelier Ten  

Atkins  

Avison Young  

BE Design  

Bennetts Associates  

Biogen Systems Limited  

Bioregional  

Black Architecture  

BNP Paribas Real Estate UK and Strutt & Parker  

Bruntwood  

Building with Nature  

Buro Happold  

Carbon Futures   

Carter Jonas  

Cervest  

Civic Engineers  

City Sanctuary Developments  

Climatise  

Colliers  

Conisbee  

David Morley Architects  

EFC Green Concrete Technology UK Limited  

Firstplanit  

Furbnow  

Gascoyne Estates  

Gbolade Design Studio  

Gort Scott  

Greengage Environmental Ltd.  

Greenspace Live Ltd  

Grid2.0  

Grigoriou Interiors  

Grosvenor Property UK  

Heyne Tillett Steel  

Hillbreak  

Hoare Lea  

HTA Design LLP  

Hydrock  

ICLEI Europe  

igloo   

Interface   

JETS Vacuum AS  

JLL UK  

Kenoteq  

KJ Tait  

Lamington group

Landsec  

Lansdowne Warwick Sustainability Consultancy  

Lipton Rogers Developments   

LS Estates 

Maber Architects   

Material Evolution  

Material Evolution   

Max Fordham LLP  

MCS Foundation  

measurable.energy  

Melius Homes  Mortar IO  

Narro Associates  

NBBJ  

NBBJ Ltd  

NORR  

NSR Management Ltd  

Preoptima  

PRP  

PT1 VC  

RCDC  

Related Argent   

Retirement Villages Group  

ROCKWOOL UK

 RSHP  

Saul D Humphrey LLP   

Shaftesbury Capital PLC  

Sika  

Spenbeck  

Square Mile Farms  

Stijl one ltd  

TFT   

Trident Building Consultancy  

Troup Bywaters + Anders  

Twinn Sustainability Innovation  

UKGBC  

unifi.id  

Unyte Group & Unyte Hemp Ltd  

Verte  

Vertigo SDC  

Vivid Futures  

Ward Williams Associates  

Waterman Group  

Woodbourne Group PLC  

Xeroc Ltd  

Zeal Hotels  

ZEHo Projects Ltd  

zero carbon house / Retrofit Balsall Heath 

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