Labour moves fast to get Britain building

As promised in its manifesto the UK’s new Labour government has made tackling the housing crisis and accelerating infrastructure investment one of its earliest priorities.

Less than a month after sweeping to power Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, announced on 30th July how Labour plans to meet its target to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.

Central to Labour’s strategy is reform of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which dictates how plans for housing and some infrastructure projects are made, consulted on, and cleared.

The reforms are out to consultation until September 24th with industry and stakeholders asked to comment on proposals that include:

-          introducing a new standard method for establishing housing need in all English local authority areas,

-          making it mandatory for local authorities to adopt housing targets based on these needs, and to publish a local plan outlining how targets will be met,

-          establishing ‘golden rules’ for planning applications on green belt land,

-          encouraging more joined-up planning across adjoining local authority areas with metro mayors leading the way,

-          increasing the size of onshore wind and solar farms that can be cleared at a local level.       

There is a raft of other detail in the consultation document including how affordable housing will help meet the 1.5 million target.

Rayner is a fan of homes for social rent homes and proposed changes to the NPPF would compel local authorities to consider the needs of those requiring Social Rent when making plans.

The consultation states in its chapter on ‘Delivering the right mix of affordable housing’ that “We expect that many areas will give priority to Social Rent in the affordable housing mix they seek, in line with their local needs, and this is something we strongly support.”

Proposals to speed the transition to a green energy system are also included in the consultation. The thresholds at which onshore renewables projects are categorised as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project would increases to 100MW for onshore wind, and 150MW for solar, from 50MW currently. This would mean more projects avoiding the time consuming NSIP planning process and being decided locally.

After reviewing the consultation responses the Government Is expected to publish the revised NPPF by the end of the year as it keeps the pace up on its growth agenda.