The government has announced an overhauling of the planning system to achieve its house building target.
All councils in England will be given new, mandatory housing targets in order to help the government reach its target of building 1.5mn more homes by the end of the current parliamentary term.
These new targets will mean councils must boost housebuilding in areas most in need.
This proposition was explained by deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, who 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 1.5mn homes for those who really need them.
“And something I am personally proud of, our new flexibility for council will boost the number of social and affordable homes, and give working families a better route to secure a home.”
The announcement reverses the decision made last year to “water down” housing targets by making them explicitly advisory.
The government additionally detailed that, currently, just a third of councils have a plan that is under five years old, which is why it needs to drive progress and ensure local areas get a say on how, but not if, homes are built.
Calculation
In addition, the government stated that the method to calculate the mandatory housing targets, which relied on decade old data, will be updated.
The new method will require councils to ensure homes are built in the right places and development is proportionate to the size of existing communities, while adding an extra level of ambition in the most unaffordable areas.
The first port of call for development will be brownfield land.
The reforms will make explicit that the default answer to brownfield development should be “yes” and promote housebuilding at greater densities in urban centers, like towns and cities.
The announcement was welcomed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors CEO, Justin Young, who said: “Securing adequate homes for the UK requires more than one solution, and it is encouraging to see many of them addressed today.
“Setting localised housing targets to ensure that what is needed is built in the right places and with the right infrastructure, and working with local authorities that know their areas better than anyone, will help secure the bold ambitions of government.
He added that the institution has been calling for a greenbelt review, and “applauds” the introduction of clear, golden rules for greybelt.
“The proposed system of brown, grey, then green, should protect community spaces and secure needed but not unnecessary development,” he added.
“We look forward to working with the government to secure the skills needed to make ambitions a reality, and await the long term housing strategy.”
tom.dunstan@ft.com
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