Hundreds of thousands of new homes are set to be built across England under the biggest housebuilding surge in a generation, following the most significant rewrite of planning rules in more than a decade.
The reforms build on last year’s reversal of anti‑supply measures in the National Planning Policy Framework. The government is now going even further to create a clearer, faster and more predictable planning system, supporting its ambition to build 1.5 million homes over this Parliament.
With more families stuck in temporary accommodation and young people locked out of homeownership, ministers say the only long‑term solution is a major expansion of good‑quality homes in every region.
The proposals introduce a series of major changes designed to optimise land use and unlock development at pace. Key measures include:
- A default “yes” to suitable housing near rail stations, supported by minimum density rules.
- Fast‑tracked approval for building upwards in towns and cities where high‑quality design standards are met.
- Simplified rules on energy efficiency and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to give developers certainty, especially on smaller sites.
- Measures to encourage accessible homes, rural affordable housing and developments serving older people and disabled residents.
- Preferential treatment for projects that strengthen local economies, including shops, leisure facilities and food production.
These reforms represent the most significant update to national planning policy in more than 10 years. The new rail‑side and densification policies alone are expected to unlock up to 1.8 million homes over the coming years and decades.
To ensure immediate impact, ministers propose that these provisions override conflicting policies from day one, ensuring all planning authorities operate from the same rulebook.
The government is pairing policy reform with substantial funding to boost capacity and accelerate delivery:
- £5 million to expand the Small Sites Aggregator across Bristol, Sheffield and Lewisham, transforming 60 small brownfield sites into new social housing.
- Work with councils to create standard house designs, enabling modern methods of construction and increasing productivity.
- £8 million for planning authorities with the largest backlogs — including major London boroughs — to speed up decisions.
These reforms build on planning changes made last year, which the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast would deliver the highest level of UK housebuilding in over 40 years and add £6.8 billion to the economy by 2030.
Steve Reed, Housing Secretary, said:
“Right now we see a planning system that still isn’t working well enough. A system saying ‘no’ more often than it says ‘yes’ and that favours obstructing instead of building.
“It has real-world consequences for those aspiring to own a home of their own and those hoping to escape so-called temporary accommodation – we owe it to the people of this country to do everything within our power to build the homes they deserve.
“We’ve already laid the groundwork to get Britain building but our planning overhaul was only the first step to fix the housing crisis we face. And today I’m going further than ever before to hit 1.5 million homes and place the key to homeownership into the hands of thousands more hardworking people and families.”
Further support comes through the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme and an additional £48 million to recruit 1,400 new planning officers — well above the government’s manifesto target.
By simplifying rules, accelerating approvals and empowering local authorities, ministers say these reforms will finally “break the cycle of a system that blocked rather than built,” supporting homeownership for working families and reducing pressure on housing waiting lists.
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