Government has agreed to put plans to allow local authorities to dictate the type and mix of new housing schemes out to consultation, easing industry’s fears that they would be introduced without proper examination. The industry lobbied against the move revealed in a leaked version PPG3 last October, and the ODPM has now decided to obtain more views in its Planning for Mixed Communities document. Confirmed changes to PPG3 mean that housing applications on redundant commercial land will be considered favourably and small sites in rural areas can be allocated solely for affordable housing.