In an effort to build the 1.5m new homes the Labour party committed to in its election manifesto, the government has announced major changes to planning rules in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) including additional money for council planning offices, and mandatory housing targets for councils.
A series of Golden Rules have been introduced alongside new planning policy to drive the housing agenda forward and, say the government, focus effort on areas of most need.
Golden rules:
- Brownfield first.
- Grey belt second.
- Affordable homes.
- Boost public services and infrastructure.
- Improve genuine green spaces.
Ministers have told councils and local authorities they will face mandatory housing targets with higher targets in areas of most need, and stronger action on the adoption of up to date local plans.
The default answer to development on brownfield land is ‘yes’ and must continue to be ‘the first port of call’ for any new development; with the changes introducing a new ‘grey belt’ land category into planning vernacular. Details of ‘brownfield passports’ will be published in 2025 to ‘further support and expedite the development of brownfield land in urban areas.’ Greenbelt development will be considered, subject to developers providing the necessary infrastructure for local communities, such as nurseries, GP surgeries and transport.
And in an effort to support the updates £100m has been allocated to planning offices and for the recruitment of 300 planning officers. In a statement the said it had ‘been clear that it supports builders not blockers, as it makes the necessary decisions to deliver for working people across the country.’
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“For far too long, working people graft hard but are denied the security of owning their own home. I know how important it is – our pebble dash semi meant everything to our family growing up. But with a generation of young people whose dream of homeownership feels like a distant reality, and record levels of homelessness, there’s no shying away from the housing crisis we have inherited. We owe it to those working families to take urgent action, and that is what this government is doing. Our Plan for Change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people’s pockets. We’re taking immediate action to make the dream of homeownership a reality through delivering 1.5 million homes by the next parliament and rebuilding Britain to deliver for working people.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said:
“From day one I have been open and honest about the scale of the housing crisis we have inherited. This mission-led government will not shy away from taking the bold and decisive action needed to fix it for good. We cannot shirk responsibility and leave over a million families on housing waiting lists and a generation locked out of home ownership. Our Plan for Change means overhauling planning to make the dream of a secure home a reality for working people. Today’s landmark overhaul will sweep away last year’s damaging changes and shake-up a broken planning system which caves into the blockers and obstructs the builders.
“I will not hesitate to do what it takes to build 1.5 million new homes over five years and deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. We must all do our bit and we must all do more. We expect every local area to adopt a plan to meet their housing need. The question is where the homes and local services people expect are built, not whether they are built at all.”
Commentary from around the property community is broadly positive. Simon Brown, CEO, Landmark Information Group said
“The publication of the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is a significant moment to tackle long-standing challenges in housing and infrastructure to deliver the Government’s ambitious 1.5m home target. However, systemic barriers—such as fragmented processes, overburdened professionals, and limited information-sharing—still impede progress. By leveraging data more effectively, we can identify demand hotspots, streamline development, and ensure homes are built in the right locations, supported by the necessary infrastructure to foster thriving communities. Landmark Information Group looks forward to collaborating with policymakers and industry leaders to address these challenges.”
Alun Williams, partner at London law firm Spector Constant & Williams added
“An area of concern for developers will be how the viability tested provision of Affordable Housing is dealt with. Where a scheme is assessed as sustaining less than the appropriate threshold, will this still result in a referral to committee or will the planning officer have sufficient discretion to approve the application? That question may well determine how successful the reforms are in applications being determined more efficiently and the Government achieving the stated target of 1.5M new homes within this parliament.”
Lola McEvoy MP, Co-Chair of the Labour Growth Group, a collection of Labour MP’s committed to tearing down the barriers to growth, said
“The Government is absolutely right to place the rapid introduction of new local plans at the heart of the changes announced today. As the Deputy Prime Minister has said we must all do more and that includes local councils delivering updated plans with ambitious targets, as well as MPs standing resolutely behind the builders even in the face of pressure. The announcement of £100m of new funding for local planning officers demonstrates a crucial commitment on an issue which we have heard time and again is a blocker on growth. We must now build on these crucial steps with further action to sweep away a broken system which has held Britain back for far too long.”
