Ambitious proposals to fast-track the construction of nuclear plants, airports and motorways and allow the spread of out-of-town shopping centres were outlined yesterday in the biggest reform of planning for 20 years.

Environmental groups immediately gave warning that plans to restrict public consultation on projects would lead to civil disobedience and direct action.

The Government’s long-awaited White Paper recommends a complete overhaul of planning, merging eight separate systems. Officials claim that the move could save £1 billion within a decade.

It also proposes speeding up home improvements and small commercial investments by allowing them to proceed without planning permission. But ministers bowed to rural concerns by dropping plans to restrict the green belt by developing urban fringes.

The proposal to set up an independent commission to take the final decision on all major infra-structure developments, including nuclear plants, infuriated rural and green campaigners. The Conservatives accused Gordon Brown of siding with the “big, bullying developer” and Friends of the Earth predicted a return to “Swampy tactics”. However, the plans were widely welcomed by the CBI and the construction industry, who stand to gain the most.

Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, said that the aim was to streamline the planning system and allow resources to be channelled into much needed housing developments. But environmental and rural groups argued that a new quango would remove parliamentary accountability, cut out consultation at the local level and make it far easier for controversial projects to go ahead.

Hugh Ellis, the Friends of the Earth planning co-ordinator, said that the Government wanted to force through controversial developments such as airport expansions and road-widening schemes, and predicted a new generation of eco-warriors in the mould of Swampy, the anti-roads protester who became a household name after chaining himself to tree trunks and tunnelling under a proposed bypass.

Announcing the details of the White Paper in the Commons, Ms Kelly said that the public would be involved during the process and that there would be a new requirement for developers to consult before making a planning application to the new commission.

Decision-making could be painfully slow, causing extra costs and uncertainty, which was in nobody’s interests, she argued. Terminal 5 at Heathrow had taken more than seven years to get planning permission, with thirty-seven applications under seven different pieces of legislation. It had also taken more than six years to get a decision on the North Yorkshire Powerline upgrade and four years for a decision on the Dibden Bay container terminal.

The new, 25-strong commission at the heart of the White Paper will comprise experts such as lawyers, environment-alists, planners and community experts. The Government will have to publish an initial policy statement on a sector outlining future plans for 15-20 years.

The developers would put proposals to the independent commission, which would undertake a public inquiry before vetoing or approving the scheme. There would be no accountability to Parliament or ministers apart from an annual report.

Caroline Spelman, the Conservative Shadow Communities Minister, said: “A week after pledging to give local residents a greater voice, Gordon Brown has shown his true control-freak instincts by backing moves to strip local communities of their say over incinerators, rubbish dumps and sewage plants. Gordon Brown has sided with the large, bullying developer, rather than the people.

“Yes, the planning system needs reform – but the voice of local communities must be preserved and a democratic, accountable process must be maintained.”

Richard Lambert, the Direc-tor-General of the CBI, said: “The business community will welcome the signal this legislation sends out. It introduces necessary reforms to help deliver the major projects, particularly in transport and energy, which the UK is crying out for if it is to remain competitive.”

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