Bigger beasts than ‘bats and newts’ stand in the way of Britain's economic growth

30 January 2025, 09:34 | Updated: 3 February 2025, 13:42

Bigger beasts than ‘bats and newts’ stand in the way of Britain's economic growth.
Bigger beasts than ‘bats and newts’ stand in the way of Britain's economic growth. Picture: Getty
John Caudwell

By John Caudwell

The Chancellor unfairly called out “bats and newts” as the villains getting in the way of Britain’s ability to build new homes and infrastructure, as she outlined further economic growth plans for the country yesterday.

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But we all know who the real beasts are blocking progress towards getting vital new development approved at pace: the bureaucrats.

As if to set the tone for nature-themed similes, the Prime Minister – writing earlier in the day in The Times – said “thickets of red tape” had been allowed to spread through the British economy “like Japanese knotweed”.

Any attack on bureaucracy is wholeheartedly welcome in my opinion and, by and large, Rachel Reeves set out a planning overhaul that ticked a lot of the right boxes: reaffirming Labour’s commitment to 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament and announcing a new Planning Infrastructure Bill for “faster approvals”.

Britain has been stuck in a bureaucratic quagmire for far too long. If we want to drive real economic growth, we need to unlock our potential by building more – more homes, more infrastructure, and more opportunities for businesses to thrive.

I know from personal experience how difficult it is to get planning permission in Britain.

Developers face endless regulations, objections, and delays that make it far easier to not build than to build.

Overlapping responsibilities among different bodies involved in the process make the process costly and complex to navigate, including the ‘bats and newts’ environmental regulations cited by Reeves as problematic.

The result? House prices skyrocket, first-time buyers struggle more to get a foot on the ladder, and Britain falls further behind in tackling its housing crisis.

Reeves’ commitment to change the “default answer to yes” for planning applications around transport hubs is a step in the right direction.

But we must ensure that local authorities have the resources and clear direction to make decisions quickly—otherwise, the system will remain gridlocked.

Beyond housing, the government’s promise to remove blockers for infrastructure projects is vital.

The confirmation that the third runway at Heathrow may yet be delivered – after decades of dithering – is another positive step, and the call for proposals by this summer demonstrates a much-needed, full-throttle approach.

Britain is desperately in need of investment in transport, renewable energy, and digital connectivity. For too long, we’ve seen projects like HS2 stall, wind farms delayed by endless consultations, and other projects caught up in planning disputes.

We cannot afford to have energy projects held back when we should be leading the world in renewables. Likewise, we cannot allow the UK’s digital infrastructure to lag behind other nations in an era where data is almost as important as electricity.

That’s why I welcome the commitment to “getting Britain building” – although I would advocate for even more and wider-ranging “knotweed” cuts.

The regulatory framework in this country is part of a much larger bureaucratic beast that needs pruning down to size: the public sector.

I have said it before, and I will keep on saying it: this is where those thickets of red tape have been propagated over decades.

We constantly hear about the £20 billion black hole in our public finances. By my reckoning, around half of that could be wiped away with a focus on delivering efficiencies and downsizing in our burgeoning public sector.

Of course, it will not be a popular move but, if nothing else, this Government has proved it’s willing to make unpopular decisions. If they do truly recognise that “growth won’t come without a fight”, this is one of the most important fights to have.

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John Caudwell is a Business leader, philanthropist and the founder of Phones 4U.

Follow @JohnDCaudwell on X, @johncaudwell on Instagram.

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