At a glance
Government overhauls NSIP planning with scrapped pre-application consultation and confirms a £718bn National Infrastructure Pipeline across 734 projects.
Ofgem backs a £24bn opening package for gas and electricity networks as part of an anticipated £80bn grid investment to 2031.
England commits £1.4bn to flood resilience works for 2026/27, covering more than 600 schemes nationwide.
New permitted development rights, NSIP reforms and Biodiversity Net Gain exemptions take effect this month, reshaping the planning baseline.
A £500m mixed-use redevelopment of London’s Truman Brewery estate is approved despite local opposition, highlighting live tensions between regeneration and housing need.
Today’s update: ministers are moving to compress planning timeframes for nationally significant infrastructure while locking in a £718bn pipeline spanning energy, transport, utilities and social infrastructure. In parallel, regulators are green-lighting major grid and flood resilience spending as detailed planning changes land for development, schools and environmental safeguards. Here’s what you need to know to stay ahead today.
Ongoing Stories
Following earlier coverage of the UK’s long-term infrastructure strategy, the government has now quantified the National Infrastructure Pipeline at £718bn across 734 projects, with planning reforms for NSIPs expected to cut up to 12 months from major schemes and save industry up to £1bn this Parliament. (Source: Gov.uk)
Returning to the theme of planning reform, August will see the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2026 come into force alongside new permitted development consultations and BNG exemptions, tightening the timetable for developers to adjust schemes and strategies. (Source: Legislation.gov.uk, Gov.uk Consultation)
Top 5 headlines
🏛️ NSIP planning overhaul aims to shave a year off major projects
Government has removed the mandatory pre-application consultation stage for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, with ministers claiming this could cut up to 12 months from delivery timelines. The move, part of reforms under the Planning and Infrastructure Act effective from late July 2026, is expected to save the industry up to £1bn this Parliament. For promoters of large energy, transport and utilities schemes, the change compresses front-end risk and makes early engagement strategies a critical self-managed issue rather than a formal requirement. (Source: Gov.uk)
🚆 £718bn National Infrastructure Pipeline set out across 734 projects
The updated National Infrastructure Pipeline now totals £718bn, covering 734 projects across energy, transport, utilities, education, health and housing. The programme is expected to support a workforce peak of over 700,000, reinforcing the scale of labour and supply chain capacity needed through the late 2020s. For contractors, consultants and investors, the visibility of this pipeline—especially alongside earlier warnings about workforce constraints—creates both opportunity and pressure to secure skills, capital and delivery partnerships early. (Source: Daily Build)
🚆 Road Investment Strategy 3 confirms £27bn focus for 2026–31
The government’s £27bn Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) for 2026–31 remains a central element of the transport pipeline, underpinning upgrades and maintenance across the strategic road network. Aligned with the wider £718bn infrastructure programme, RIS3 will shape highways workbank visibility and regional civils demand over the next five years. Supply chains in highways, structures and digital infrastructure can expect sustained, programmatic work but will need to manage exposure to materials inflation and labour availability. (Source: Daily Build)
🌱 Ofgem backs £24bn for gas networks and supergrid upgrades
Ofgem has provisionally approved a £24bn initial programme for operating and maintaining critical gas networks and upgrading Britain’s electricity supergrid between 2026 and 2031, as part of an expected £80bn of network investment. The regulator has also shortlisted 16 long-duration electricity storage projects under a cap-and-floor scheme, with consultation closing on 7 August 2026. This package cements a substantial multiyear workstream for grid and energy contractors and positions storage as an emerging specialist market for investors and technology providers. (Source: Ofgem)
🏗️ £500m Truman Brewery redevelopment approved despite opposition
A £500m redevelopment of the Truman Brewery estate on Brick Lane in east London has been approved, including a datacentre, offices and 44 homes. The housing secretary backed the scheme despite local opposition and calls for more residential provision, signalling support for mixed-use regeneration and digital infrastructure in a constrained urban setting. For developers and planners, the decision underscores central willingness to prioritise economic and tech-led uses even where local sentiment favours higher housing numbers. (Source: The Guardian)
🌱 England commits £1.4bn to 2026/27 flood resilience programme
The Environment Agency has allocated £1.4bn to flood resilience projects for 2026/27, covering more than 600 schemes across England. The programme will blend traditional defences with nature-based solutions to manage increasing climate risk. This creates a significant pipeline for water, civils and environmental contractors and will influence local land use, design standards and community engagement around flood risk. (Source: Smart Water Magazine)
Also in the news
🌱 Solar power delivered a record 14.4% of Britain’s electricity in July 2026, underlining the pace of PV deployment and its growing role in the energy mix. (Source: The Guardian)
🌱 The UK renewables pipeline now includes plans to triple offshore wind capacity and double onshore wind by 2030, supported by new interconnectors such as the Eastern Green Links due online from 2029. (Source: The Telegraph)
🏛️ The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2026 will take effect on 27 August, revising permitted development rights and altering planning flexibility for a range of schemes. (Source: Legislation.gov.uk)
🏛️ A consultation on permitted development rights for schools, community assets, defence and conservation closes on 5 August 2026, potentially reshaping how social and defence infrastructure is brought forward. (Source: Gov.uk Consultation)
🌱 Biodiversity Net Gain exemptions for very small sites, temporary developments and minimal-impact projects come into force on 6 August 2026, easing compliance for lower-impact schemes while keeping core BNG duties intact. (Source: Daily Build)
The Daily Build is written for people shaping the UK’s construction and infrastructure pipeline, from policy teams to project offices. If this briefing is useful, consider forwarding it to colleagues planning bids, investment cases or consents this month.