Planning and Infrastructure Bill Report Stage: New Clause 85

What happened: Parliament voted on New Clause 85, an opposition amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill at Report Stage (the stage where MPs debate and vote on proposed changes to a Bill before its final reading). The amendment sought to introduce additional planning safeguards or community protections within the planning system. It was defeated by 314 votes to 107.

Why it matters: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is the government's flagship legislation intended to accelerate housing delivery and streamline development across England. New Clause 85 would have added protections or consultation requirements that supporters argued were necessary to give communities a meaningful voice in local planning decisions. The government and its allies voted it down, arguing that such additions would undermine the central purpose of the Bill, which is to remove barriers to development and increase the pace at which new homes and infrastructure are approved and built.

The politics: The vote divided largely along government versus opposition lines. All 304 Labour and Labour and Co-operative Party MPs who voted did so against the amendment, providing the government its commanding majority. The 107 Ayes came primarily from 94 Conservative MPs, joined by 6 Reform UK MPs, 4 Democratic Unionist Party members, 1 Traditional Unionist Voice MP, 1 Ulster Unionist MP, and 4 Independents. Notably, the Green Party voted with the government against the amendment, a cross-party alignment that reflects the Greens' support for housing delivery despite their usual emphasis on community and environmental protections. The result sits within a broader pattern of the government using its substantial Commons majority to defeat opposition attempts to attach additional conditions to its planning reforms.