Summary
4.The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 is a key element of the Government’s agenda for speeding up the planning system. The provisions introduce powers which allow for the reform and speeding up of the plans system and an increase in the predictability of planning decisions, the speeding up of the handling of major infrastructure projects and the need for simplified planning zones to be identified in the strategic plan for a region or in relation to Wales. The Act also provides for a number of reforms to make the handling of planning applications by both central government and local authorities quicker and more efficient. There are also provisions to make the planning Acts bind the Crown, fulfilling a long-standing commitment to end the Crown's immunity from the planning system. The provisions relating to compulsory purchase powers and compensation will liberalise the compulsory purchase and compensation regimes. They support policies relating to investment in major infrastructure and regeneration.