Labour is set to miss its target of approving 150 major infrastructure projects by the end of this parliament due to ‘dithering and delay’ by ministers, according to new analysis.
More than half of planning decisions on 27 major projects expected in 2025 were delayed beyond the three-month decision period for ministers, according to the Centre for Policy Studies.
Labour’s inaction has added almost four years of cumulative delay this year alone, with ministers responsible for 1,333 days of holdup across 14 delayed projects, the think tank said.
Based on the current rate Labour is set to miss its target by almost a third, approving just 107 projects instead of 150, the CPS added.
However the Government on Monday night insisted it is on course to meet its target, adding that it has made 33 decisions on major infrastructure projects already this parliament.
The target of fast-tracking planning approval for 150 Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) – such as roads and railway lines – was a key pledge made by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and came alongside Labour’s promise to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
It comes as new figures suggested Labour is also on course to miss its housebuilding target by 500,000 homes, with just 204,000 built in England in 2025 instead of the 300,000 needed each year to stay on track.
Ben Hopkinson, head of housing and infrastructure at the CPS, said: ‘When half of all infrastructure decisions are delayed by ministerial dithering, you can’t blame the planning system – you have to blame the people making the decisions.
‘Unless the Government gets a grip, they’re on track to miss their own infrastructure target by a third.’
The think tank added that legal challenges are likely to compound Labour’s problem, with one in six approved projects facing a legal challenge that can delay it by a year or more.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: ‘We will build the homes and infrastructure this country needs and are on track to make 150 major infrastructure project decisions in this Parliament.
‘Our Planning and Infrastructure Act will streamline the planning system and speed up decision making, and we are backing our builders, brickies and businesses to get Britain building.’
