The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said the changes it was suggesting would “help optimise land use through well-designed, higher-density development, simplified biodiversity rules for smaller sites – and fast-track good housing projects that meet national standards for energy efficiency”.
Revisions include a default ‘yes’ to suitable homes being built around rail stations, along with minimum housing density rules.
Another revision is a default ‘yes’ to new homes building upwards in towns and cities, so development schemes that “meet high standards for well-designed homes” would be fast-tracked.
The government added that it would make it easier for developers, especially SME builders, to build higher-density housing on smaller sites and underused land.
It would also introduce a ‘medium site’ category for sites of 10-49 homes so SME builders “face proportionate rules and costs for their site size”.
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The government added that it would also consider a possible exemption from the Building Safety Levy for SME builders.
Energy-efficiency and Biodiversity Net Gain standards will be streamlined to give builders “certainty on plans for new homes”.
It will also encourage a “more diverse mix of housing” and new builds will include “nature-friendly features”.
There will also be preferential treatment for developments that strengthen local economies and provide new services such as shops, leisure facilities and food production.
The government said the measures will “pave the way for a stable, rules-based system where developments that meet clear standards can move quickly from plans to construction – the most significant rewrite of national planning policy in over a decade”.
Rail and densification policies are expected to unlock a potential 1.8 million homes in the coming years and decades, the government added.
The policies should also “effectively override conflicting policies from day one so everyone is working from the same rule book”, so changes make an “immediate difference”.
Steve Reed, Housing Secretary, said: “Right now, we see a planning system that still isn’t working well enough. A system saying ‘no’ more often than it says ‘yes’ and that favours obstructing instead of building.
“It has real-world consequences for those aspiring to own a home of their own and those hoping to escape so-called temporary accommodation – we owe it to the people of this country to do everything within our power to build the homes they deserve.
“We’ve already laid the groundwork to get Britain building, but our planning overhaul was only the first step to fix the housing crisis we face. And today, I’m going further than ever before to hit 1.5 million homes and place the key to homeownership into the hands of thousands more hardworking people and families.”
Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, added: “For too long, our economy has been held back by a housing system that slows growth, frustrates business, and prices the next generation out of a secure home.
“These reforms back the builders not the blockers, unlock investment and make it easier to build the 1.5 million new homes across every region– rebuilding the foundations of our economy and making affordable homes a reality for working people once again.”
