Fast-Tracking Housing for the Future: How New Planning Reforms Will Transform Communities

The UK’s planning system is set for a major shake-up. New planning reforms aim to tackle the housing crisis head-on - making it easier and quicker to build homes, especially affordable ones, while supporting economic growth. Here’s a breakdown of what’s being proposed, what it could mean and what to watch out for.

How Planning Reforms Aim to Speed Up Housing Delivery

1. Making Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) Fairer:

   • Right now, councils often have to pay over the odds for land because of something called “hope value” - what a landowner thinks the land could be worth if planning permission is granted. The new reforms would remove this inflated value, letting councils buy land at fair market rates. This makes it more viable to invest in much-needed social and affordable housing.

   • By streamlining the CPO process, councils can act more swiftly to secure land for development, aligning with housing delivery targets.

2. Focus on Brownfield Sites:

   • The introduction of "brownfield passports" simplifies the planning process for previously developed land, unlocking the potential for sustainable urban regeneration.

   • Extra funding will also support this shift supporting the redevelopment of underutilised sites while minimising environmental impact.

3. Support for SMEs and Large-Scale Communities:

   • Small and medium-sized developers (SMEs) will get more support through an extended Home Building Fund. This should encourage more players into the market, reducing reliance on large developers and accelerating construction timelines.

   • The New Towns Taskforce will lead the way on visionary, large-scale urban planning, ensuring long-term infrastructure and housing needs are met.

4. Mandatory Housing Targets:

   • Councils will have clear targets for how many homes they need to deliver. This provides accountability and a framework for action, encouraging councils to meet national housing goals while benefiting from additional funding and resources.

Planning Reform Challenges to Address

1. Concern from Landowners:

   • The reduction in hope value could deter private landowners from selling land to councils, leading to disputes and potential delays.

   • Striking a balance between fair compensation for landowners and affordability for councils will be critical to the policy's success.

2. Local Authority Resource Constraints:

   • While the measures aim to streamline processes, councils will still need the people, skills and time to implement them properly - and that could be a stretch for some.

3. Public and Developer Opposition:

   • The consultation process will need to address concerns from developers and landowners who may perceive these changes as a restriction on market freedoms.

4. Timelines for Implementation:

   • Even with bold plans, legislative changes take time. It may be a while before we see the full impact of these reforms on the ground.

Making Planning Reforms Work for the Long Term

• Integration with Local Plans: Ensuring reforms align with existing local development plans will be essential to avoid conflicts and ensure planning strategies work together smoothly.

• Monitoring and Feedback: Tracking what’s working (and what isn’t) and listening to feedback from stakeholders will be crucial to fine-tune policies post-implementation.

• Long-Term Vision: Beyond hitting the numbers, the focus should remain on creating high-quality, sustainable and resilient communities.

The Bottom Line on Planning Reforms

The proposed changes reflect a bold step towards addressing the housing shortfall and meeting ambitious targets for new homes. They aim to make the process faster, fairer and more flexible - especially for affordable housing and urban redevelopment. But success will depend on how well they’re put into practice and whether everyone involved - councils, developers and the public - can work together to shape the future of our communities.

Visit the Government’s website for more information on proposed planning reforms.

Writer: David Maddox, Founder