Rachel Reeves to protect ‘critical’ clean energy projects from legal challenges

Rachel Reeves is ​preparing to announce a planning shake-up ‌that would fast-track clean energy ​and infrastructure projects by curbing judicial reviews, the ​Treasury said.The chancellor will propose that parliament should be able to designate and approve the most important clean energy projects as of “critical national importance”, as part of a wider package seeking to blunt the impact of the Iran crisis.“That would reduce the exposure from judicial review on all but human rights grounds,” the Treasury said.It comes as pressure grows on the government to accelerate its energy infrastructure development to meet its goal to build a virtually zero-carbon power system by 2030.renewable energy developers have long bemoaned the difficulty in gaining planning permission for projects, from offshore windfarms to onshore solar and battery storage developments, and waiting times to connect to Great Britain’s electricity grid.The Treasury says Rachel Reeves ‘is clear that parliament must take back control’. Photograph: Toby Melville/ReutersA spokesperson for the Treasury said that vital infrastructure delivery had been “delayed by judicial reviews of projects the country needs”.They added: “The chancellor won’t stand for it any longer and is bringing forward bold changes to support delivery. “She is clear that parliament must take back control – to get Britain building the power plants, windfarms and grid connections that will bring bills down, strengthen our energy security, and deliver growth in every part of our country.”Last year a record number of renewable energy projects were given the go-ahead in Great Britain, according to analysis by the consultancy Cornwall Insight. It found that the energy capacity of new battery, wind, and solar projects that received approval climbed to 45GW, 96% higher than in 2024.However, it also found the pace of projects starting up lagged behind, largely as a result of long construction timelines and grid connection delays.For other infrastructure, such as transport and water projects, the government will introduce a fixed legal challenge window. When this ends, planning consent could be updated to address “any legitimate issues”, the Treasury said.The proposal comes amid a series of policy moves by Reeves despite uncertainty around the future of Keir Starmer as prime minister.On Tuesday it emerged that the government asked UK supermarkets to consider freezing the prices of some essential foodstuffs to protect the public from inflation fuelled by the Middle East conflict.Reeves is expected to announce measures to help households with the cost of living on Thursday, on which she is also planning to cancel a planned rise in fuel duty.