The Local Planning and Development Federation (LPDF) is delighted with today's government announcement outlining a bold new strategy to tackle the housing crisis and reinvigorate the economy through comprehensive planning system reforms.
Key Highlights of the Announcement:
- Mandatory Housing Targets: The government will introduce new mandatory targets for councils, aiming to deliver 1.5 million homes, addressing the acute housing shortage across England.
- Greenbelt Review and ‘Grey Belt’ Land: A review of the greenbelt will identify ‘grey belt’ land to meet local housing needs. The ‘golden rules’ will ensure 50% of new homes are affordable.
- Local Plans: Every area must develop local housing plans. The government is prepared to intervene if councils fall behind.
Government's Plan to Overhaul the Planning System
The government’s commitment to overhauling the planning system includes setting mandatory housing targets, ensuring councils are held accountable for delivering much-needed homes. This initiative aims to pave the way for 1.5 million new homes, addressing the most severe housing crisis in recent history.
The abandonment of mandatory targets in 2023 was disastrous for house-building in this country. We are pleased to see the new government’s ambition to get Britain building.
Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner’s Directive
Writing to all council Leaders and Chief Executives, Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, has emphasised that the building of new housing is ‘not just a professional responsibility, but a moral obligation’. She has stated the government’s willingness to directly intervene if local authorities fail to develop up-to-date plans. This is a welcome change. If present trends continue, 75% of local authorities will not have an up-to-date plan in 2025. It is clear to the LPDF that the government is genuinely committed to ensure that local plans are at the heart of the planning process.
New Calculation Methods for Housing Targets
The government will update the method used to calculate mandatory housing targets, making it more reflective of current needs. This will ensure that homes are built in the right places and that development is proportional to the size of existing communities, while adding an extra level of ambition in the most unaffordable areas.
Brownfield Development
The reforms will prioritise brownfield development, with an explicit default answer of “yes” to such projects, promoting higher density homebuilding in urban centres, like towns and cities.
Review of Greenbelt Land
To meet housing targets, councils will review their greenbelt land to identify ‘grey belt’ areas, such as land on the edge of settlements or old petrol stations and car parks. Development in these areas will adhere to ‘golden rules,’ ensuring 50% of new homes are affordable and to ensure that necessary infrastructure such as schools and GP surgeries is delivered. Councils will also have to consider proximity to transport infrastructure.
Investment in Infrastructure
The government is committed to facilitating the construction of essential infrastructure like laboratories, gigafactories, and data centres, alongside more significant onshore wind and solar projects.
Support for Affordable and Social Housing
The government will also focus on delivering quality affordable and social housing. This includes changes to Right to Buy, with councils given more flexibility to use receipts to build and buy more social homes. Details of future investment in social and affordable housing will be announced at the next spending review. The government has committed to giving housing associations certainty in their rent settlements, which will allow them to borrow to acquire new homes delivered through S106 commitments.
Conclusion
At the LPDF we have long called for a review of greenbelt land, and for government to work towards ensuring all local authorities have a local plan in place. Such plans should be at the heart of the planning system.
The changes to the NPPF in 2023 were severely damaging to the delivery of housing in this country. The lack of certainty over funding for housing associations is inhibiting the delivery of affordable housing, which then has a knock-on impact on the delivery of all housing. We are pleased to see that government’s commitment to introduce measures that will allow the sector to get building the homes we need.
It is clear that greenbelt designations have constrained the housebuilding infrastructure from constructing the homes that are needed for the next generation. We are pleased to see the government set out its ambition to deliver new homes near urban centres where people want to live.
Paul Brocklehurst, Chair of the LPDF said:
‘I’m pleased to see the government bring around changes that will make a significant difference to the delivery of housing in this country. The moves put local plan making at the heart of the planning process, and will mean that the government is working with industry to actually deliver 1.5 million homes.
I urge all our members to respond positively to the consultation. We have a chance now to have a planning system that actually works.’
