Building Blitz Gets Bill Backing

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A new National Planning Policy Framework has introduced mandatory rules for councils to deliver a combined total of 370,000 homes a year – it will be backed by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill next month.

The Bill will overhaul environmental regulations to no longer accept the failed status quo where bats are more important than trains or newts more important than homes. It is intended to remove the  blockers to fast-track delivery of the homes and infrastructure that local communities need.

On 13 February, the government announced plans to fast stream planning through brokering disagreements between the agencies and expert bodies, which by law must be consulted within the planning process. Bodies including National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency will need to bring planners and housebuilders to the table and iron out concerns that have been holding back development.

This work will be bolstered by extra government funding which was announced, including:

• £1 million for government agencies, including National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency, to speed up the planning approval of new homes and improve feedback to local authorities and industry where required.

• £2 million to support the Building Safety Regulator to continue improving the processing for new-build applications.

• Over £3 million of grants for local councils to bolster planning capacity, alongside direct advice and navigation through some of the more complex issues holding up new development.

the government is also supporting local partners through a clearing service to help accelerate the sale of uncontracted and unsold affordable homes, with nearly 300 housebuilders, local councils and registered providers signing up in the first 50 days of its launch.   

In December, the government set a hierarchy of brownfield first, grey belt second and green belt third. Further funding is being injected to drive brownfield regeneration.

This includes:  

• £20 million to help transform neglected small-scale council-owned sites into new homes, for areas most in need.

• Nearly £30 million from the Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund in Bradford to transform derelict brownfield sites into a residential area with 1,000 new homes, three community parks, shops, cafés, restaurants, and offices.

• £1.5 million to support a regeneration programme at Manchester Victoria North, delivering a new district of 15,000 homes with transport links and green spaces.   

 

£5 billion promised

Investment in housing, according to the Labour Party, is increasing to £5 billion for this year, including a top-up of £800 million being injected into the existing Affordable Homes Programme to help deliver tens of thousands of new affordable and social homes across the country.   

This is in addition to an extra £100 million of cash to bolster local resources with increased planning fees to cover costs and funding to recruit 300 planning officers, making sure councils have the capacity they need to rubberstamp new homes and infrastructure.

 

Picture: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be read in March 2025.

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
24th February 2025

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