Councils hit with immediate housing targets that rise for most unaffordable areas

To meet targets, green belt building will be permitted, but to be approved, it must meet the government’s “golden rules”. Meanwhile, a tougher approach to force councils to update and adopt local plans will be enforced.

The updated National Planning Policy Framework, described as an “overhaul” of the planning system, is intended to accelerate housebuilding, particularly in areas with the highest levels of unaffordable housing.

Under the new planning rules released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, councils will be issued with immediate mandatory housing targets, with higher targets for areas with the highest unaffordable housing and the greatest potential for growth.

Green belt golden rules

Although councils must first look to available brownfield sites for new home building, they must also review their green belt boundaries to meet targets, identifying and prioritising lower-quality green belt land, known as ‘grey belt’.

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Any development on green belt land must meet the requirements of the government’s “golden rules”, while councils and developers must also give greater consideration to social renting when building new homes.

The golden rules are:

• Brownfield first
• Grey belt second
• Affordable homes
• Boost public services and infrastructure
• Improve genuine green spaces

Angela Rayner, deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, said: “We cannot shirk responsibility and leave over a million families on housing waiting lists and a generation locked out of homeownership. Our Plan for Change means overhauling planning to make the dream of a secure home a reality for working people.

“Today’s landmark overhaul will sweep away last year’s damaging changes and shake up a broken planning system [that] caves in to the blockers and obstructs the builders.

“I will not hesitate to do what it takes to build 1.5 million new homes over five years and deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

”We must all do our bit and we must all do more. We expect every local area to adopt a plan to meet their housing need. The question is where the homes and local services people expect are built, not whether they are built at all.”