New mandatory housing targets for councils

The government have announced an overhaul of the housing planning system, with all councils in England being given new, mandatory housing targets. The targets are being set to allow for achieving the new government’s pledge to deliver 1.5 million more homes.

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The reforms include making brownfield development much easier to grant. Councils will also need to review their green belt land if necessary and identify and prioritise ‘grey belt’ land. A definition for this has been provided and includes land on the edge of existing settlements or roads, as well as old petrol stations and car parks.

Land that is safeguarded for environmental reasons will continue to be protected. Any land that is released in green belt areas will need to provide 50% affordable homes as part of the development.

These reforms should create opportunities for all construction related businesses. See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/housing-targets-increased-to-get-britain-building-again