Housebuilding near well-connected train stations will receive planning permission by default if developments meet certain rules, the government has announced.
Developers will be encouraged to build more homes near major transport links, with councils in England required to tell the government when they intend to reject new housing developments over a certain size. The housing secretary will have the final say on whether the developments should go ahead.
Planning reforms to give greater certainty and strength for development around well-connected rail stations, including trains and trams, will be proposed through a new pro-growth and rules-based National Planning Policy Framework, which will be consulted on later this year.
The rules will extend to land within the Green Belt, and the default ‘yes’ will apply equally across all local authorities. The proposals will also include minimum housing density standards for these sites, expected to be exceeded in many cases, to make the most of sustainable growth opportunities for local housing, jobs and businesses.
The proposed measures will also require councils to inform government if they plan to block applications of 150 homes or more so ministers can decide whether to overrule the decision. Particular attention will be paid to those applications where a planning committee intends to refuse it contrary to the advice of planning officers, the government said.
The changes are being implemented alongside proposals to streamline the statutory consultation process, building on work already underway following the launch of Platform4, a new property company which aims to increase the number of homes built on brownfield land near railway stations.
‘I promised we’d get Britain building and that’s exactly what we are doing’, housing secretary Steve Reed said.
“But it has to be the right homes in the right places and nearby transport links are a vital part of that.
“We’re making it easier to build well-connected and high-quality homes, using stronger powers to speed things up if councils drag their feet, and proposing to streamline the consultation process to cut back delays.”
Andrew Teacher, cofounder of real estate strategy consultancy Lauder Teacher and an independent property analyst, said the plans were ‘common-sense thinking’ and ‘it makes perfect sense for strategic development to be centralised’, but warned ministers must be very clear about the tall buildings and dense massing that will be allowed.
He added:
“Above all, though, planning alone is not going to fix the problem. Fixing the problem will require common-sense thinking on building regulation and a reality check around the levels of tax and affordable housing levied on new developments…
“Equally, planning authorities in many cities often respond negatively to these developments not out of spite or malice but because local people, or rather highly vocal minorities, play the system to stop things happening out of personal interest. A way to avert this is to ensure that the many people who do not really care, or do not oppose things, can also play a role. This can be done through new technology, data and online surveys, and these should form a statutory part of the planning process so that it is not simply about typical NIMBYs.
“…to any of those people who say it is undemocratic, they should refer themselves to plans set out in the last Labour manifesto, which were very clear about housebuilding, energy transition and building the critical infrastructure this country needs. We cannot let local politics or vocal minorities undermine this.”
The Housing Secretary is expected to make further announcements to speed up housebuilding across the country before the end of the year.
