The coalition’s Infrastructure Act has been passed into law following assent from the House of Lords and a series of revisions.

It will allow the Department for Transport (DfT) to create Highways England, a government-owned company that aims to ensure road investments are cost-effective, efficient and beneficial to local areas.

The legislation will also cut significant amounts of red tape when it comes to surplus public land, which will be easier to sell on to housing developers, along with Land Registry reforms and improvements to the Planning Act of 2008. It is set to save taxpayers at least £2.6 billion over the next ten years.
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin welcomed the new legislation and said: “This act will hugely boost Britain’s competitiveness in transport, energy provision, housing development and nationally significant infrastructure projects. Cost efficient infrastructure development is all part of the government’s long term economic plan, boosting competitiveness, jobs and growth.”