Planning reforms, mandatory housing targets, Green Belt development and an overhaul of the planning system have today been unveiled as part of the government’s radical revolution to get Britain building again.

The Labour Party had pledged in its bid to win Number 10 to build 1.5 million new houses in the next five years and now the new Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Angela Raynor MP, less than a month into the role, has revealed how they will make it happen.

Speaking in the Commons, the Deputy Prime Minister said the ambitious plans would not only deliver economic growth but raise living standards, create jobs and breathe life back into towns and cities.

The plans would not be without controversy, she said, but the government was not afraid to take the tough choices needed to deliver for the country. First to be revealed was mandatory housing targets for every local authority in England - reversing the decision made last year to ‘water them down’.

While the targets will reflect local views, Ms Raynor said, it would be about how new homes are delivered and not whether they are needed.

The government will change the way housing need is calculated so it better reflects the urgency for supply in areas, while also incorporating an uplift where house prices are most out of step with local incomes. To hit its overall 1.5 million target, Labour has said 370,000 new homes would need to be built each year by 2029.

Searching for the land to build on, the government announced one reform to the planning system would ensure the ‘default answer’ to development on brownfield land would be ‘yes’.

However, previously developed land was only part of the answer, Ms Raynor said, some Green Belt land would need to be strategically released for building but with strict rules in place.

These ‘golden rules’ would include 50 per cent affordable homes, a focus on social rent and ensuring schools, GP surgeries and transport links were installed.

‘Greybelt’ land, on the edge of settlements, old petrol stations and car parks, would also have to be identified by councils to be prioritised for development.

Local authorities would also be encouraged to create and update local plans, or the government has said it will step in, where needed, to drive progress.

Ms Raynor said: “It seems a lot, but this is only the first step. We plan to do so much more. “We will achieve the biggest boost to affordable housing for a generation, and we will get Britain building to spur the growth that we need.”

Investment in affordable and social housing will be announced in the next spending review, she said. A planning and infrastructure bill will also be introduced and include reforms for council planning committees, so they focus on the ‘right applications with the necessary expertise’.

Revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework would also be published by the end of the year so changes can take effect as soon as possible.

The government pledged to make it ‘simpler and faster’ to build clean energy sources, changing the threshold for solar developments to reflect advancements in technology and called on local authorities to identify sites for renewable energy generation.

There are still a lot of questions, and the proposals will mean an increase in housing targets for local authorities, but at Consult Communications we welcome the consultation and will keep an eye on things as they progress. We also share the view of many in the industry, that the Labour Party in government is making all the right noises and long may it continue.