The Growth and Infrastructure Bill is a Department for Communities and Local Government sponsored bill that was introduced to the House of Commons on18 October 2012. The bill has two main parts:
1. Changes to planning law – The bill makes a number of changes to planning procedures aimed at kick-starting stalled developments and reducing the regulatory burden of the planning process. Specifically, the bill provides for:
- the option to make planning applications directly to the secretary of state
- limits on the powers that local planning authorities have to request information with applications
- allowing for the reconsideration of economically unviable affordable housing requirements contained in s106 agreements
- excluding the right to apply for land proposed for development to be registered as a village green; and business and commercial projects within the Planning Act 2008 regime
2. Implementation of employee owner status – The main provision in the part of the bill creates a new employment status of 'employee owner'. Employee owners would have fewer employment rights in return for shares of a value between £2000 and £50,000 in the employer's company.