Housing Secretary Angela Rayner announced on Monday a loosening of planning policy in England, which could lead to thousands more homes being built near transport hubs. The new national planning guidance will instruct councils to adopt a "default yes" approach for housing developments within a reasonable walking distance of well-connected train and tram stations.
This policy change will also apply to some green belt sites, where developments must include higher levels of affordable housing, new or improved green spaces, and appropriate infrastructure. The guidance is set to be confirmed this week as part of the new national planning policy framework (NPPF).
The government aims to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament, and Rayner stated these changes are part of the biggest rewrite of planning rules in over a decade. The new NPPF will provide clearer national policies, giving less weight to conflicting local policies.
Other changes include stronger support for development in sustainable locations and a requirement for at least 40% of homes on larger developments to be accessible. Additionally, pubs will receive enhanced protection, requiring developers to prove a pub has no reasonable prospect of remaining a going concern, including evidence of being marketed for sale for at least a year, before conversion.