<p>The government is consulting on changes to the current planning system in England.</p> <p>Separate to the publication yesterday (August 6) of the white paper, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-future">Planning for the future</a>, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is focusing on four main proposals to “improve the effectiveness of the current planning system. They are:</p> <p>-<span> </span><b>Changes to the standard method for assessing local housing need</b>: MHCLG said its new proposed methodology would “provide stability and certainly for all stakeholders" and aimed to address the issues of the previous methodology, including its not meeting the government’s aspiration for 300,000 additional dwellings per year.</p> <p><span>-<span> </span></span><b><span>Securing of First Homes through developer contributions: </span></b><span>Following its response to its consultation on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/first-homes">First Homes</a>, MHCLG is now seeking views “on the detail of the proposed changes to the current planning system”. It plans to set out in policy that a minimum of 25% of all affordable housing secured through developer contributions should be First Homes.</span></p><p><span>- </span><b>Supporting small and medium-sized builders. </b><span>MHCLG is proposing to temporarily raise the small sites threshold below which developers do not need to contribute to affordable housing, to up to </span><span>either 40 or 50 new homes.</span></p> <p><span> </span><span>- </span><b>Extending …