Queen’s Speech planning reforms to make building new housing developments easier
The government’s planning reforms are expected to be unveiled today when the Queen delivers a speech opening a new session of parliament this morning.
The speech will reportedly include legislation on reform of the planning system to allow more new homes to be built on undeveloped land.
It comes as the Conservatives aim to expand home ownership across areas of the Midlands and the North in order to cement the recent swell of support for the Tories in those regions.
The Times reported that the planning bill will simplify the process and make it more difficult for homeowners to stop new housing developments being built.
Under the new legislation, the country will be divided into areas marked for either growth or protection, with a third zone for regeneration being mulled by ministers.
In areas categorised as growth zones, homes, hospitals, schools, shops and offices will reportedly be given automatic planning approval.
Tom Fyans, campaigns and policy director of CPRE (the Campaign to Protect Rural England) said the Planning Bill “risks creating a free-for-all for development”.
He said: “We know from painful experience that, without the right checks and balances in the planning process, developments can lead to a huge and unnecessary loss of countryside while doing nothing to tackle the affordable housing crisis or level up.”
Mark Hayward, chief policy adviser at Propertymark, which represents estate and letting agents, said: “A greater supply of homes will serve to correct the imbalance between supply and demand which has been intensified by the stamp duty holiday.
“The Government has made a number of announcements in the past on simplifying the planning process; however, this will only work if it really reflects local needs and demands.
“We hope the Planning Bill outlined today encourages the development of housing in more affordable areas as, at the moment, most of the development taking place is in areas that are unaffordable to first-time and lower income buyers.”