Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Second Reading

Parliament voted on 24 March 2025 to give the Planning and Infrastructure Bill its Second Reading, passing the measure by 330 votes to 74. A Second Reading is the first substantive vote on a bill in the Commons, approving its general principles before it moves to detailed scrutiny. The bill passed comfortably, with the government's majority delivering a clear win. Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted unanimously in favour, while the Liberal Democrats provided the largest bloc of opposition with 64 votes against.

The bill sets out to transform England's planning system, with the government's stated goal of building 1.5 million homes during this Parliament and fast-tracking 150 major infrastructure projects. It would streamline how planning decisions are made, reform how legal challenges to major projects can be brought, and introduce a new approach to environmental obligations intended to replace the existing nutrient neutrality rules that ministers say have blocked thousands of homes. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner also announced on the day of the debate a further £2 billion for affordable housing and £600 million for construction skills training, including 60,000 new apprenticeships.

The most notable feature of the division was the Liberal Democrats voting unanimously against, positioning themselves as defenders of local planning controls and community consultation rather than supporting the government's top-line housing ambitions. The Conservatives, while offering partial support for the bill's principles, did not vote as a bloc against it, with their shadow housing spokesman Kevin Hollinrake indicating conditional backing for its aims alongside significant reservations. Plaid Cymru and the Democratic Unionist Party also voted against. The Greens, notably, voted in favour. The bill subsequently progressed through Report Stage and passed its Third Reading on 10 June 2025 by 306 votes to 174, with opposition growing as the legislation was amended.