Govt announces next steps of planning reform

Housebuilders will potentially have default permission to build homes near commuter transport hubs as part of a suite of steps announced within the government’s next phase of planning reform.

Under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill – which ministers have confirmed will be introduced in the spring - the government said it would ensure that when housebuilders submit an application for “acceptable types of schemes in key areas”, including in “high potential locations” near commuter transport hubs, that the default answer to development is “yes”.

“This will unlock more housing at a greater density in areas central to local communities, boosting the government’s number one mission to grow the economy. These measures will transform communities, with more shops and homes nearer to the transport hubs that working people rely on day in day out,” the government stated yesterday (January 26).

In its next steps of planning reform, ministers are aiming to streamline a set of national policies for decision making “to guide planning decisions taken by local authorities and promote housebuilding in key areas”.

Accordingly, the chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced reform to the statutory consultee system, requiring developers to consult local communities and expert bodies on planning …