As part of the government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ strategy in a bid to strengthen the UK economy following the coronavirus pandemic, it has been revealed that new homes and hospitals will be granted “automatic” permission to be built in England.
In the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Jenrick wrote, that under the new rules land will be designated either as:
- for growth
- for renewal
- for protection
It is the plots of land that are in the ‘renewal’ category, in which developments will be given “permission in principle” to speed up building. This is in a bid to “cut red tape, but not standards.”
Mr Jenrick added:
“I am completely overhauling the system so we can build more good quality, attractive and affordable homes faster – and more young families can finally have the key to their own home.”
This all forms part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s £5bn pledge for the ‘Build, Build, Build’ strategy.
James Jamieson, the chair of the Local Government Association, said the idea that planning was a barrier to house building was “a myth”.
He said:
“Nine in 10 planning applications are approved by councils, while more than a million homes given planning permission in the last decade have not yet been built.”
“Only last week the government’s own independent report warned of the worse quality of homes not delivered through the planning system. We urge the government to heed these warnings and not further sideline the planning process.”
