Labour Unveils Bold Planning Reforms to Address Housing Crisis

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner outlines plans to build 1.5 million homes while streamlining local planning processes and enforcing binding housing targets.

Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, announced reforms to overhaul the planning system to address the UK's housing crisis.
The Labour government aims to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years, with mandatory housing targets and local development plans for councils.
The proposed changes would allow developments meeting local and national criteria to bypass council committees, expediting approval processes while maintaining democratic oversight through pre-established plans.
Councils without up-to-date local plans may face government intervention to ensure housing targets are met, with just under a third of councils currently compliant.
The reforms aim to reduce delays caused by local opposition and planning committee bottlenecks, while providing certainty to developers and addressing the growing demand for affordable housing.