Overview
- Ministers propose automatic approval for housing on underused sites within a 15‑minute walk of well‑connected train and tram stations, including some green belt areas, if schemes meet set criteria.
- Councils intending to refuse developments of more than 150 homes would have to notify the Government, giving ministers the final decision on those applications.
- Officials signalled closer scrutiny where councillors overturn planning officers’ recommendations, as part of new override powers aimed at accelerating large schemes.
- The package would amend the National Planning Policy Framework with minimum housing density expectations and the removal of some statutory consultees, such as Sport England, The Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust.
- Developers and pro‑growth groups welcomed the measures, while the Local Government Association and opposition figures warned of weakened local accountability and risks to protected land, as the Government seeks to lift build rates beyond the 231,300 homes reported since the election.