The Home Builders Federation (HBF) and National Federation of Builders (NFB) haveboth welcomed a new package of measures announced by Government in a bid to support home builders to ‘get spades in the ground quicker’.
The changes announced include:
- A default “yes” to new homes around train stations, providing they meet certain rules
- A requirement for councils in England to tell the government when they intend to reject new housing developments over a certain size, with the Housing Secretary to review and take over large-scale applications as needed
- Proposals to remove statutory consultees and bring down the number of applications considered by up to 40%
As the Autumn Budget looms, the announcement promises further reform in the weeks ahead, vowing to go ‘further and faster to hit the 1.5 million homes in the Plan for Change’.
On news of the announcement Catherine Williams, Planning Director for the Home Builders Federation, said: “Making more land available for development and increasing the certainty – and speed - of achieving planning permission are essential steps if we are to increase housing supply.
“Sustainable development is at the core of the planning system, and it is positive that Government is being proactive in permitting developments near train stations.
Williams continued: "Reducing the number of statutory consultees involved with planning applications is welcome and should help reduce delays and bureaucracy in the planning process.
“Ensuring more larger sites come forward and preventing unnecessary delays to the approval of appropriate sites is a positive move that could accelerate supply.
Williams concluded: “These further changes to the planning system build on the earlier changes made by this Government, and if broader constraints can be addressed, will really help the industry increase the delivery of high quality, environmentally friendly homes communities need.”
Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders, said: “Building around existing transport infrastructure is the organic placemaking the nation has been crying out for. It will provide planning certainty – helping projects become viable and speeding up delivery of homes.”
The proposal extends to trams and will be consulted on later in the year, through a new pro-growth and rules-based National Planning Policy Framework.
Rico Wojtulewicz, Head of Policy and Market Insight at the NFB, said: “Building around transport, encouraging density, tackling planning politics, and supporting planners – many of us in the industry are left speechless at the ambition and conviction.
“This is a considerable opportunity to enable organic placemaking and stimulate housing supply, particularly in relation to density. We will be knocking on Mr Reed’s door waving our ‘Community Density’ report, which identifies how good design can make tall, dense buildings that are both acceptable to local people and seen as the default for great placemaking and more housing.”
