The upcoming King’s Speech will set out the new Labour government’s legislative plans for the forthcoming parliamentary session. Chancellor Rachel Reeves highlighted early on following the election that the new government intends to move forward quickly with proposals to reform the planning system. At Mobile UK we fully support the need to overhaul to planning system and have published a six-point framework to assist policy makers in our most recent report Failing to Plan, Planning Will Fail.

The Government’s proposals are expected to seek to reshape the nation’s planning landscape and, while much attention has been given to ambitious plans to supercharge house building, it is crucial to recognise that planning extends far beyond the construction of new homes.    

Beyond housing: a holistic approach to planning

Labour’s proposed planning reforms are designed to address the UK’s housing shortage by building 1.5 million homes over the next five years. However, the scope of these reforms will be much broader, encompassing planning linked to critical national infrastructure vital for the nation’s growth and development. Sustainable development requires a balance between housing, transport, energy, and, crucially, digital infrastructure.  

The role of mobile infrastructure

In today’s digital towns and cities, mobile infrastructure is as essential as energy, roads and railways. In fact, this critical national infrastructure is the foundation on which all our services rely on.  

The UK’s mobile network operators have made significant strides in expanding 4G coverage and rolling out 5G networks in recent years. However, essential upgrades have often been hampered by a creaking and under resourced planning system coupled with a lack of public and local authority awareness of the intrinsic links between planning and connectivity. There is still much work to be done to ensure that all regions, including rural and underserved areas, have access to reliable and high-speed mobile connectivity.

Mobile Infrastructure is Critical Infrastructure

Mobile infrastructure is not just about enabling faster internet speeds for streaming and browsing. It plays a critical role in all sectors, including healthcare, education, and emergency services.  

As we look forward to the King’s Speech on 17 July, it is clear that Labour’s proposed changes to UK planning must not just be about building new homes. The government’s approach must recognise the importance of mobile infrastructure as a critical component of the nation’s development in placing this reform as a key tenet of the new administration.  

By reforming the planning system to enable mobile operators to invest in robust and reliable mobile networks, we will create a more connected, inclusive, and resilient UK. This forward-thinking vision will not only address the immediate needs of the population but also lay the foundation for a prosperous and sustainable future upon which every aspect of life now relies.

Beyond planning it is also important that the government builds on its ambitions to kickstart growth by putting in place additional measures to incentivise investment in mobile infrastructure, including urgent implementation of matters in the PSTI, leftover from the previous parliament? These should include reform of the annual licence fee for mobile spectrum, which acts like a tax on investment, to enable operators to reinvest those funds into mobile deployment, and changes to traffic management regulations to boost service and tariff innovation.

ENDS