Written By Em

Secretary of State Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP has published new planning rules this week. They state the necessity of building attractive and better-designed homes in areas where they are needed.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework aims to make it easier for councils to take a stand against poor quality and unattractive developments, as well as providing communities the ability to voice their own opinions about how developments should look and feel.

The Prime Minister launched a public consultation earlier this year, which provided a comprehensive approach for planners, developers and councils to increase the amount of homes being built and at a faster speed. It also focused on looking at where people actually want to live.

This revised framework will focus on:

• promotion of higher quality designs for new homes and places
• stronger protection for the environment
• making sure that the right number of homes are being built in the right places
• councils and developers receiving greater responsibility and accountability for housing delivery

Secretary of State for Communities, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said: “Fundamental to building the homes our country needs is ensuring that our planning system is fit for the future.

“This revised planning framework sets out our vision of a planning system that delivers the homes we need. I am clear that quantity must never compromise the quality of what is built, and this is reflected in the new rules.

“We have listened to the tens of thousands of people who told us their views, making this a shared strategy for development in England.”

We have had a regular reminder that the Government is continuing with its target to achieve 300,000 new homes a year. There were 217,000 homes built last year, which was the biggest increase in housing supply in almost ten years.

Promoting high quality design of new homes and places

The framework aims to ensure that councils have the confidence and tools to deny permission for development if it does not prioritise design quality and fails to complement the surroundings.

Whilst there is a concentration on driving up the quality of new builds, councils will also remain in charge of applying such policies in the most relevant way in relation to the area.

In order to maximise the usage of land, the Government aims to provide the councils with more confidence to make refusals to applications that don’t provide enough homes.

Stronger protection for the environment

There have been updates made to the new framework, which provide further protection for biodiversity. The importance of ensuring that wildlife thrives, whilst also addressing the need for new homes has been pinpointed.

The planning system is due to align more closely with Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan. This aims to improve the environment so that we are leaving it in a more prosperous state for future generations. There should be more protection for habitats, and the issue of air quality needs greater focus when development proposals are being considered.

The revised framework plans to ensure that all other reasonable options for development are exhausted before looking to alter a Green Belt boundary. The protection of ancient woodland and trees throughout England should be strengthened, in order for it to continue to thrive for further generations.

The Government has specified its intention to protect the Green Belt in England, explaining the high expectations and considerable evidence that would be required in order for any alterations to be authorised.

Building the right number of homes in the right places

There will be a new way for councils to calculate the housing needs of their local community, in order to tackle the issue of unaffordable house prices throughout the country. This will include the consideration of different forms of housing, such as retirement homes.

Overall, there is an aim to build more homes in the areas that are most in need, based on the affordability of existing homes for those on a lower or medium income.

Councils are introducing a Housing Delivery Test from November 2018. It will focus on increasing the amount of homes that are actually built in an area, rather than simply the amount planned to be delivered.

Clearer guidance for both developers and councils has also been published, in order to make sure that the necessary infrastructure and affordable housing is delivered to support communities. Developers will now know what is expected from them up front, even before the submission of planning applications. Councils will have greater control over holding them to these commitments.

Further information

During the consultation, the Government held ten regional engagement events and approximately 40 individual meetings. This consultation received 29,224 responses, including over 25,000 to the campaign itself.

SaveSave

Planning and development consultancy Lichfields has released a new report, showing that the house building industry in England and Wales is now worth £38 billion a year. The research also shows that almost 700,000 jobs are supported by the industry.

Over the past four years, the UK economy has seen a massive boost, as house building activity has increased by 74%.

Overall, the report has also revealed the following about the house building industry last year:

• £2.7 billion has been generated in tax revenues (via Stamp Duty Land tax, Corporation tax, National Insurance etc.)
• £841m has been provided towards infrastructure, including £122m for new/improved schools)
• 90% of the £11.7 billion that has been spent with suppliers has stayed in the UK
• £12 billion has been invested in land for new homes
• There is now a plan for 50,000 affordable houses to be built, through section 106 agreements. These will be worth over £4 billion

The report also highlights that this increase in housing supply is having a big impact on the industry. The Government currently has a target of providing 300,000 new houses a year in England. If such targets are met, then we could end up seeing benefits such as:

• £14.2 billion in economic activity
• 260,000 jobs created
• £1.1 billion in tax revenue
• £384m investment in infrastructure

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), has said: “The house building industry is a massive driver of the UK economy and makes a huge contribution to communities across the country.

“While delivering much-needed new homes of all tenures, house builders are quietly creating and sustaining jobs, generating receipts for the exchequer and boosting investment in infrastructure and amenities in villages, towns and cities.

“As well as becoming ever more reliant on private builders to deliver affordable housing through planning agreements, vast sums are ploughed into new roads, schools and community facilities every year.

“The unprecedented increases in housing supply in recent years have delivered significant benefits for UKPLC and the industry is investing in more land and people to enable it to go further and build more.

“The industry is calling on Government to work with it to create the policies that will allow it to deliver the government’s ambition of 300,000 homes a year in England. Delivering more homes will not only help solve our acute housing crisis, but also provide a further boost to communities and economies up and down the country.”

Matthew Spry, Senior Director at Lichfields commented: “We were delighted to be asked by the HBF to update our original 2015 report. In preparing our analysis we drew upon a wide range of official and well-established data sources, as well as engaging directly with house building companies including to capture information they assemble as part of Corporate Social Responsibility reporting.

“We have again identified the very significant economic contribution made by house building and how boosting supply to achieve the Government’s aspiration of 300,000 homes per annum in England will not only help improve access to housing for people across the country but also deliver a significant economic and infrastructure dividend.

“It is important that this contribution is properly recognised in planning and investment decisions across central and local government, agencies and Local Enterprise Partnerships.”