Spotlight: Development consent orders secured for two major energy projects, confidence in UK infrastructure growing and the latest on planning reform

ENERGY

📰 Grid and storage top net zero concerns | reNews

📰 GB Energy finally sets out five year plan | Energy Live News

📰 Renewable energy gains strategic importance in geopolitics | Valor International

🗣 We delivered a clear message at Cop30: the delayers and defeatists are losing the climate fight | The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP

✒️ Helios Renewable Energy Project development consent decision announced | Planning Inspectorate

✒️Morgan Offshore Wind Secures Development Consent for Major Irish Sea Wind Farm | Marine Management Organisation

📰 Ofgem green lights £28bn investment in UK energy infrastructure | Financial Times (paywall)

📰 BESS: Storing Potential for the UK’s Energy Future | Power Magazine

‍

INFRASTRUCTURE

✒️ UK infrastructure still a gold standard for investors, survey finds | Highways Magazine

📰 Reconnecting Britain: How can rail power the UK’s growth mission? | New Statesman

📰 Engineering Intelligence: Building Trust in AI for Rail Infrastructure | Global Railway Review

📰 UK data centres approved by parliament as ‘nationally significant infrastructure projects’ | Pinset Masons

🗣 AI alone won’t build construction resilience | pbc today by Nick Gray, chief operating officer for the UK and Europe at Currie & Brown

‍

DEVELOPMENT

🗣 Reforming Local Plan-Making | Statement by Matthew Pennycock, Minister of State for Housing and Planning

📰 Statutory national development management policies ‘remains an option’ in future, Pennycook reveals | Planning (paywall)

✒️ New online appeals service now available to all local planning authorities in England | Planning Inspectorate

✒️Housing: Construction | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written question – answered

✒️Homes England awards £23 million infrastructure grant in latest step towards unlocking wide-scale regeneration and thousands of new homes in London | Homes England

📰 MHCLG Support for Housebuilding: A New Package to Unlock Housing Delivery | Savills UK

📰 Government warns lagging councils of ‘tough action’ on local plans | Place North West

📰 Government releases new Environmental Improvement Plan to mixed reception | New Civil Engineer (paywall)