The Government has unveiled a major overhaul of the UK planning system in a bid to “get Britain Building again”.
All councils in England will now face new, mandatory housing targets aimed at delivering 1.5 million additional homes, addressing the most severe housing crisis in recent memory. These targets will require councils to increase housebuilding in areas with the greatest need, helping more people purchase homes, removing significant barriers to economic growth, and revitalising Britain’s construction sector.
The new regulations will reverse last year’s decision to make housing targets explicitly advisory at a time when planning permissions were at a record low. This renewed approach underscores the ambitious effort needed to tackle the housing crisis and meet the government’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes.
Supporting the government’s top priority of nationwide economic growth, these targets will be integrated into local development plans. Local plans will ensure community involvement in the construction of necessary homes and infrastructure.
New Development Rules
Currently, only a third of councils have plans that are less than five years old. To drive progress, the government will make tough decisions and intervene where necessary, ensuring local areas determine how, but not if, homes are built.
The Deputy Prime Minister has communicated to every council Leader and Chief Executive in England, emphasising that there is “not just a professional responsibility but a moral obligation to see more homes built.” She has stated she will use her intervention powers if necessary, including taking over an authority’s plan-making directly.
In addition to reinstating mandatory housing targets, the government will update the calculation method, which previously relied on outdated data. The new method will ensure that homes are built in appropriate locations and that development is proportional to the size of existing communities, with increased ambition in the most unaffordable areas.
The first priority for development will be brownfield land. The reforms emphasise that the default response to brownfield development should be “yes” and encourage higher-density homebuilding in urban centres like towns and cities.
To achieve the goal of delivering 1.5 million homes over the next five years, councils may need to review their green belt land to meet targets, identifying and prioritising ‘grey belt’ land. Grey belt land includes areas on the edge of existing settlements or roads, as well as old petrol stations and car parks. The new guidelines also stress the importance of considering the proximity of new homes to existing transport infrastructure.
If local authorities lack up-to-date plans or fail to enable sufficient housing to meet local targets, homebuilders can propose developments on grey belt land. Environmentally protected land will continue to be safeguarded.
Green belt land development will adhere to the government’s ‘golden rules,’ ensuring that projects deliver 50% affordable homes, increase access to green spaces, and include necessary infrastructure like schools and GP surgeries.
Additional Initiatives
The government is also committed to facilitating the construction of key infrastructure such as laboratories, gigafactories, and data centers. Additionally, there will be changes to support more large onshore wind projects and solar developments nationwide.
Alongside these planning reforms, the government is taking measures to improve the availability of quality affordable and social housing, aiming to reverse the decline in social rent homes. This includes changes to the Right to Buy scheme, allowing councils more flexibility to use receipts for building and purchasing social homes. A review of the increased discounts introduced in 2012 is underway, with changes expected in the Autumn.
The Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that details of future government investment in social and affordable housing will be announced at the next spending review. This will enable social housing providers to plan ahead and contribute to the largest increase in affordable housebuilding in a generation.
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services Limited - a Marketing & Content Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
