.png)
The Labour government is accelerating its ambitious overhaul of the UK's planning system, aiming to speed up the development of new housing and clean energy infrastructure. This afternoon, the government introduced new measures to enhance housebuilding rates and redefine rules to facilitate more construction on green belt land.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) has mandated that all English councils adopt new targets, setting the stage for constructing 1.5 million new homes throughout the next parliamentary term. This includes ramping up the annual target to 370,000 new homes per year.
In its announcement, MHCLG emphasized that brownfield sites should be the primary focus for new housing. New reforms will ensure that the default stance on brownfield proposals is 'yes,' aiming to encourage urban development.
Additionally, the government reaffirmed its manifesto pledge requiring councils to reassess green belt land. Councils are now tasked with identifying and prioritizing newly designated 'grey belt' areas—such as land bordering existing settlements, former petrol stations, and car parks—if necessary to achieve housebuilding goals.
The government has defined 'grey belt' land to include sites on current developments or infrastructure fringes. New guidelines will also compel councils to evaluate the proximity of proposed housing projects to existing transport networks.
Any land removed from the green belt will be governed by the government's 'golden rules,' which mandate that new developments must feature at least 50% affordable housing, enhance access to green spaces, and ensure essential infrastructure like schools and GP surgeries are in place.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said today's announcements marked "a significant step to getting Britain building again."
"Our decisive reforms to the planning system correct the errors of the past and set us on our way to tackling the housing crisis, delivering 1.5 million homes for those who really need them," she said.
The announcement received a warm reception from business groups, who view the planning reforms as crucial for spurring economic growth and drawing essential investment into UK infrastructure. Despite this, some campaigners remain apprehensive about the potential repercussions of new developments on the UK's natural environment and biodiversity.
John Foster, chief policy and campaign officer at Britain's most prominent business group, the CBI, welcomed Rayner's statement, which he said could "provide a real shot in the arm for the economy by delivering meaningful change to the planning system".
"Reforms to the existing NPPF are also vital to catalyse investment in low carbon power generation and energy efficiency that will bolster energy resilience and support the delivery of net zero," he added. "Significant delays and blocks across technologies on planning are threatening the deployment of low carbon infrastructure at the pace and scale required to meet the UK's net zero targets.
Foster also stressed that businesses had repeatedly highlighted capacity and capability issues as "a principal cause of poor planning performance."
"Providing greater flexibility on fee setting is a welcome first step in addressing this challenge," he said. "Ensuring that all agencies with a stake in the planning system have sufficient resources to deal with applications quickly is critical to the effective implementation of proposed reforms."
Simon McWhirter, deputy chief executive of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), characterized the planning reform as 'a tightrope' for the new government, balancing economic stimulation, housing demand, and environmental protection.
He advocated a stronger emphasis on regenerating existing vacant buildings rather than solely focusing on new housing developments. McWhirter also called for a more precise definition of 'grey belt' land and more explicit guidelines on when councils should be required to reclassify these areas from green belt status.
"No one wants to see unchecked urban sprawl, so the new 'grey-belt' designation must be properly defined and should be primarily limited to nationally strategic sites," he argued. Exceptions for small-scale affordable housing already exist for communities in green belt areas."
McWhirter also highlighted the necessity for tangible benefits from new homes and clean energy infrastructure resulting from relaxed planning rules. He warned that the government might face nationwide backlash without ensuring these advantages are felt broadly.
"The government understands this means a much higher proportion of genuinely affordable, high-quality housing with excellent access to public services, public transport, and green space," he said. A neat solution already has momentum and was backed by Labour in Opposition—legally marrying the planning system to the Climate Change Act so every planning decision helps meet, not scupper, the UK's climate and nature restoration goals.
"A revitalised National Policy Planning Framework is a chance to quickly pivot planning policy towards the well-considered, coordinated and holistic system we need to bring climate emissions under control and halt the collapse of nature."
The update coincided with new research exploring UK attitudes toward environmentally sustainable housing, revealing that younger homeowners are significantly more supportive of green housing policies than their older peers.
Commissioned by NatWest in collaboration with S&P Global, the latest Greener Homes Attitudes Tracker involved Ipsos Mori interviewing 9,000 renters and homeowners aged 18 to 64 in the first half of this year.
Respondents were questioned about the significance of political promises regarding environmentally sustainable homes leading up to the recent General Election. Over a third deemed it 'very important,' including 39% of mortgage holders and 34% of renters.
The study also highlighted generational differences: 44% of individuals aged 18 to 44 considered such policies crucial, in contrast to 34% of those aged 45 to 64.
Lloyd Cochrane, head of mortgages at NatWest, said the latest survey findings added to a growing body of its own research showing that "making greener changes is an important part of home ownership, particularly for the younger generation."
"We've seen a real shift in people being environmentally conscious - whether that's looking to save on energy bills or taking public transport to reduce their carbon footprint," he said.
"Relevant solutions, suppliers and funding needs to be more accessible to customers and homeowners across the UK. In order for people to realise the potential benefits and confidently undertake work to their homes, it's incredibly important that we're able to provide viable solutions to these property owners. Partnerships are key in helping us to do that and helping customers to get started on their home energy efficiency journey."
In a separate announcement today, Defra unveiled intentions to conduct a 'rapid review' of the government's legally binding nature targets. These targets include water pollution, air quality, biodiversity, and tree planting. The review aims to pave the way for a revised strategy to achieve these goals in the coming months.
Comments