Government continues its bold reform of the planning system to deliver on the Plan for Change with the announcement of more homes near commuter transport hubs
Last week, the first details of the Plan for Change were announced, including changes to how many times major infrastructures can be challenged in court.
This latest announcement comes ahead of a planned speech for economic growth next week.
New Plan for Change details concern opening up land
One of the major points in the announcement shows that untapped land near commuter train stations and transport hubs will be opened up for housebuilding to create homes and economic growth through increased jobs and faster infrastructure delivery.
Policies are also up to be streamlined to speed up decision-making and planning decisions for local authorities. This will come under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will remove much of the red tape that is delaying projects in the planning system, as well as aiding the Government’s intent to make the default answer for planning applications ‘yes’.
Input from expert bodies and environmental assessments will be reassessed in order to streamline the system, reduce delays, and maintain protections for the environment.
Some more specific projects were also announced, including the regeneration of Manchester’s Old Trafford, which will bring in new housing, commercial, and public spaces as a first step in promoting growth in the region.
Greater Manchester will also see a large swathe of land around transport hubs released for construction through local development orders, including Castleton Station.
Kickstart the economy with homebuilding
The Government announcement shows that in 2024, homebuilding statistics fell below 200k, and permissions were at their lowest for a decade. The Plan for Change intends to tackle this in order to reach their target of 1.5m homes by the end of the current parliament.
The Government has also said they are aiming to make at least 150 decisions on major economic infrastructure applications.
Chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “I am fighting every single day in our mission to kick start the economy, deliver on our Plan for Change, and make working people better off. That includes avenues that others have shied away from.
“Too often the answer to new development has been ‘no.’ But that is the attitude that has stunted economic growth and left working people worse off. We need to do things differently and that journey began as soon as I started at the Treasury in July. These are our next steps and I can say for certain, there is more to come.”
Fixing the housing crisis
Deputy prime minister and secretary of state for housing, Angela Rayner, said: “From day one I have been clear that bold action is needed to remove the blockers who put a chokehold on growth. That’s why we are putting growth at the heart of our planning system.”
“Growth means higher wages, better living standards, families raising their children in safer homes, and the next generation taking their first steps onto the housing ladder.”
“This year we will go even further to make the dream of homeownership a reality for millions and fix the housing crisis we inherited for good – getting more shovels in the ground to build the homes and vital infrastructure that our communities so desperately need.”
