Rayner launches uncompromising planning framework changes

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has launched a comprehensive review of the National Planning Policy Framework.

The objective is to make it easier to build more homes, with Rayner telling MPs that future local decisions "should be about how to deliver new homes, not whether to”.

An eight week consultation period, starting today, will allow comments on a series of radical departures from the current approach:

- Local housing targets will now become mandatory, with new calculations to determine how many are needed in each area;

- New planning framework will move from being based on population projections to a wider metric connected to housing stock and need;

- The total number of new homes per year under housing targets will rise from 300,000 to over 370,000;

- All councils must have a workable Local Plan in operation within a year;

- Brownfield land must be the first option but with "a more strategic system for Green Belt release";

- Where Green Belt land is developed, 50% of it will have to be affordable housing and proposals must include infrastructure changes plus a net increase in green space once the development is complete;

- Additional consultation on changes to Right To Buy, reducing discounts and giving councils more flexibility to sue capital receipts from sales.

Further changes, some of which will come in a Planning and Infrastructure Bill this autumn, could give councils the powers to set their own planning fees to cover costs, and a wider review of the Right To Buy scheme, which could limit eligibility and stop new social homes being sold off.

A statement from the agents' body Propertymark, says in response to the planning announcements: “Propertymark is keen to work closely with the new UK government to help ensure a balanced mix of housing is delivered across the next parliamentary term and beyond. Ensuring sustainable homes are delivered in key areas is paramount for the economy and it’s encouraging to hear Angela Rayner's commit to an in ‘infrastructure first’ approach, and one that focuses on making full use of available brownfield and grey belt land where possible first. 

“Propertymark has long called for an enhanced housing strategy to be developed and one that can deliver for generations to come, so it’s positive to hear this will become an integrated ambition moving forwards. It is essential housing supply has seamless continuity and keeps pace with demand, so the return of mandatory housing targets and a commitment to building a mixture of housing becomes a reality. 

“Ultimately, future direction to deliver the 1.5m new homes promised must be driven by robust insight and delivered with precision with via close stakeholder engagement.”