Guidance

Crown Development and Urgent Crown Development: draft secondary legislation

Links to draft secondary legislation for Crown Development and Urgent Crown Development.

Applies to England

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 February 2025, the government intends to implement the Crown Development routes introduced through the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023. These will allow Crown bodies (including government departments) to submit applications for planning permission directly to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

To implement these routes, the government has laid the first in a package of statutory instruments before Parliament. This draft statutory instrument amends primary legislation and planning application fee regulations and will be subject to debates in both Houses of Parliament before being made.

To provide full transparency for these routes, the government has published, in draft, the additional statutory instruments that set out the procedure for both Crown Development and Urgent Crown Development applications, the rules which govern any hearing or inquiry held to consider a Crown development application, and a further consequential amendments instrument. These will be made in spring 2025.

As the following statutory instruments are in draft, they may be subject to change.

Crown Development Orders and Rules

The Town and Country Planning (Crown Development Applications) (Procedure and Written Representations) Order 2025 (PDF, 6.96 MB, 43 pages) – which sets out the requirements and procedures for planning applications submitted under the ‘Crown Development’ route.

The Town and Country Planning (Crown Development Applications) (Inquiries and Hearings) Rules 2025 (PDF, 697 KB, 20 pages) – which sets out the requirements and procedures where applications under the ‘Crown Development’ route are to be determined by Hearing or Inquiry.

Urgent Crown Development Order

The Town and Country Planning (Crown Development) (Urgent Applications) (Procedure) (England) Order 2025 (PDF, 2.08 MB, 13 pages) – which sets out the requirements and procedures for planning applications submitted under the ‘Urgent Crown Development’ route.

Other secondary legislation

The Town and Country Planning (Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2025 (PDF, 402 KB, 9 pages) – which amends existing secondary legislation as a consequence of the Crown Development routes.

Updates to this page

Published 13 February 2025

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