Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook MP has sent a strongly worded letter to the Planning Inspectorate, urging planners to take a more pragmatic approach when assessing whether proposed housing developments are viable and deliverable. The move signals a renewed push from government to speed up new home construction across England.
The correspondence, dated July 2026, follows earlier calls for inspectors to adopt a more balanced view of viability assessments. In the letter, Minister Pennycook requests that planners use common sense when scrutinising evidence on whether developments can be financially sustainable and brought to fruition. This guidance has been distributed to all inspectors involved in local plan examinations.
Local plans are crucial documents outlining where development can take place in a given area. The examination process ensures these plans meet legal requirements, are sound, and effective. The Minister's intervention suggests that overly stringent interpretations of viability could be hindering housing schemes' progress.
Critics have long argued that the complexity of viability assessments is a major bottleneck in housing delivery. The government hopes its emphasis on pragmatism will strike a balance between ensuring sustainable development and meeting ambitious housing targets, potentially streamlining the examination process for local authorities and developers.
The move comes as pressure mounts on the government to address the national housing shortage. By encouraging flexibility in viability assessments, the Ministry aims to remove bureaucratic hurdles that can delay or derail projects, contributing to an increase in new homes built across England. The directive's success will depend on its consistent application by inspectors in their assessments.