Building on the insights from TYI’s new ‘Small Changes, Big Rewards’ report, author Maxwell Marlow joined Gareth Elliott on the Live Better Connected podcast to unpack how smart, targeted tweaks to the UK’s planning system could unlock a step‑change in national connectivity.

During the episode, Maxwell’s focuses on the simplicity of the planning reforms needed. The UK doesn’t need an overhaul of planning rules, just a handful of small, targeted amendments to documents like the General Permitted Development Rights (PDR) and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).  

The report makes clear that even modest reforms could deliver immediate, tangible rewards: targeted changes to planning rules could unlock up to £2.5 billion in near‑term economic returns, giving the government one of its fastest and most cost‑effective wins in driving growth. With mobile networks already almost entirely privately funded, these small adjustments offer a rare opportunity to accelerate national connectivity and stimulate economic activity at zero cost to the taxpayer, all while enabling the industry to deploy the world‑class infrastructure it’s ready to build.

Maxwell and Gareth go on to explore the wider industrial consequences. Sectors such as connected transport, manufacturing, and logistics increasingly depend on resilient mobile networks. These fast-growing industries swill benefit significantly from smoother planning rules that allow operators to deploy more efficiently, add antennas, adjust mast dimensions, and carry out essential upgrades without unnecessary delays.  

Public services stand to gain just as much. The NHS’s long-term digital strategy includes fully 5G connected hospitals, yet existing planning rules currently block mobile operators from making even basic infrastructure changes needed to support this ambition. That barrier slows down clinicians, reduces patient access to digital services, and undermines the NHS’s ability to modernise.

Through targeted planning reforms, the UK can accelerate innovation across tech clusters, boost business productivity, improve digital inclusion, and ensure that homes, transport systems, and essential services are fit for a modern, connected economy.

As Maxwell puts it, these reforms are a “win-win-win”, for consumers, businesses, and the country as a whole.  

Watch the latest episode for more information or read the full report.

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