Government proposes overhaul of planning to fast-track new homes

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is consulting on “landmark reforms to speed up and modernise the planning system and get the country building”.

Housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, announced last Thursday an “overhaul of the country’s outdated planning system”. The government said the reforms will mean homes will be built quicker by ensuring local housing plans are developed and agreed in 30 months – down from the current seven years.

lt said local communities will be consulted from the very beginning of the planning process using online maps and data to make the whole system more accessible – land will be designated as for growth, for renewal or for protection. And communities will set the agenda for their own areas, with the categories for all land across England decided through local consensus.

Proposals also included:

• valued green spaces will be protected for future generations by allowing for more building on brownfield land and all new streets to be tree lined;

•every area will have a local plan in place – currently only 50% of local areas have a plan to build more homes;

• the planning process will be overhauled and replaced with a “clearer, rules based system” –  currently around a third of planning cases that go to appeal are overturned;

• a new, simpler national levy to replace the current system of developer contributions which often causes delay;

• the creation of a “fast-track system for beautiful buildings and establishing local design guidance for developers to build and preserve beautiful communities”;

• all new homes to be "zero carbon ready", with no new homes delivered under the new system needing to be retrofitted; and

• the First Homes scheme will provide newly-built homes at a 30% discount for local people, key workers and first-time buyers. The discount will be locked into the home in perpetuity, ensuring future buyers can continue to benefit from it.

Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy will be replaced with a new Infrastructure Levy that will be a fixed proportion of the value of the development, above a set threshold, helping to deliver more affordable housing.