Government increases housing targets

The government has announced an overhaul of the planning system intended to grow the economy and build more houses.

Every English council will be given new mandatory housing targets to pave the way to deliver 1.5 million more homes. The targets will mean that councils will have to increase housebuilding in the areas most in need and at the same time, help more people buy their own homes and remove the largest barriers to economic growth.

The method used to calculate housing targets will also be updated, and will require councils to ensure homes are built in the right places and development is proportionate to the size of existing communities.

Brownfield land will be prioritised for housebuilding. Councils have also been told they will have to review their green belt land if needed to meet their own target, while prioritising grey belt land.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said: “Today marks 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.    

“And something I am personally proud of, our new flexibilities for councils will boost the number of social and affordable homes, and give working families a better route to a secure home.”

Cllr Claire Holland, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association said:“Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues facing councils. Urgent action is needed to ensure more housing is built to meet growing demand.

“Today the Government has laid out some positive first steps on affordable housing. Consultation on the Right to Buy scheme is positive news for councils who have seen their stock significantly diminish under the scheme and we look forward to working with government on its ongoing review. Local government stands ready to work with national government on their detailed delivery plans to ensure practical solutions to these long-standing problems are found.

“While national government can provide useful guidance, it is local councils and communities who know their areas best, so changes to national planning policy should be suitably flexible to allow authorities to make judgement decisions on managing competing demands for uses in their local areas. We will look carefully at the changes proposed to planning policy and housing targets.

“In order to deliver more housing, councils need the proper levers to deliver proposals that genuinely support a faster build-out of schemes. This includes urgently introducing a ‘stalled sites’ council tax premium, as well as a streamlined compulsory purchase process to acquire stalled sites or sites where developers do not build out to agreed rates. Action is also needed to ensure viability assessments are fair.”

Housing expert Sir Michael Lyons is to lead an independent New Towns Taskforce, supported by Deputy Chair Dame Kate Barker.

The programme is intended to create largescale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each with hundreds of thousands of much-needed affordable and high-quality homes in the decades to come.

Some of the new town will be large-scale new communities that are separate from existing settlements, but many will be urban extensions and regeneration schemes that will work with the grain of development in any given area.

All new communities will be governed by a ‘New Towns Code’ – a set of rules that developers will have to meet to make sure new towns are well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said: “Our new towns will deliver housing fit for the future, shaping new communities with real character that people can be proud to call home.  

“With Sir Michael in the driving seat, I know his Taskforce will work together with local people to help us decide on the right places for these new towns, delivering more homes, jobs and green spaces.  

“We are getting Britain building again and our long-term vision for a new generation of new towns will enrich the lives of working people in the years to come.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: “Getting Britain building is at the heart of our mission to grow the economy and make every part of the country better off.

“Alongside our landmark reforms to the planning system, this programme of new towns will kickstart economic growth and give businesses the confidence to invest.”

New Towns Taskforce Chair, Sir Michael Lyons said: “A new generation of new towns and largescale urban extensions could play a significant role in the government’s plans for economic growth as well as offering new homes on an ambitious scale.

“I am proud to lead the New Towns Taskforce to make sure new towns deliver on the government’s vision and meet the needs of local people.

“Our mission begins today and we will work closely with local leaders and their communities as well as the wider development and investment sectors to make sure these new towns are built in the right places.”