Angela Rayner sets new housing targets in planning overhaul

Angela Rayner has introduced a major change to England's planning regulations in order to fulfill Labour's commitment to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.

The housing minister announced that the local housing goals, which were weakened by the Conservatives in 2022, will now be required once more.

She also shared intentions to simplify the process of constructing on poor-quality green belt areas that will be changed to "grey belt".

Ms Rayner acknowledged that her proposals may stir up some disagreement, but she emphasized the necessity of implementing changes to improve the affordability of housing.

The Conservatives raised objections to the proposed plans, stating that they would result in suburban areas having to accommodate additional housing from urban Labour areas.

According to the proposed changes, local councils in England will once again need to include housing goals set by the government in their future land allocation plans.

Local government authorities that did not successfully handle this responsibility were at risk of losing their ability to prevent the construction of new buildings.

However, Rishi Sunak's administration reduced their importance by stating that they should only serve as guidance, in an effort to quell a rebellion among Conservative MPs in late 2022.

When speaking in Parliament, Ms Rayner pointed to this as an instance of the Conservative Party giving in to backbenchers who are against promoting growth, and prioritizing their party over the country.

She mentioned that the number of new homes being built is expected to decrease to less than 200,000 this year, which is significantly lower than the 300,000 goal set by the previous administration.

Labour is also planning to adjust the way targets are determined, such as eliminating the 35% increase for large urban areas that was put in place by the Tories. They will also make changes to how the formula considers housing affordability.

According to the official paperwork, councils will now need to prepare for about 370,000 new homes every year, instead of the current 305,000.

However, certain metropolitan areas that were included in the uplift, primarily under the control of the Labour party, will experience a decrease in their goals.

The yearly limit for London, where the housing increase is currently in effect for each separate district, is expected to decrease from nearly 99,000 homes to about 80,000.

Birmingham aims to reduce its target number from 7,174 to 4,974, while Coventry plans to decrease theirs from 3,081 to 1,527.

Some councils have previously expressed concerns that the goals for improvement were too difficult. Ms. Rayner stated that the target for London would still be very challenging and the previous goal was not realistic.

She acknowledged that some of the new goals might come as a surprise, but she defended the decision by stating that the previous system had resulted in some unusual results.

But the adjustments received negative feedback from Kemi Badenoch, the shadow housing secretary and a potential candidate for Tory leadership, who claimed that it would lead to greater unpredictability.

She also stated that it might result in suburban and rural areas having to absorb housing currently in Labour-controlled inner city areas.

In other news, the government has provided additional information about its proposal to simplify the process of constructing on specific areas of the green belt, which is designated land encircling major urban areas.

There is a suggestion that local councils with protected green spaces should reevaluate their boundaries if they are unable to address housing demands using alternative methods.

The updated advice suggests that local authorities should consider reclassifying land that has been developed before or land that does not significantly contribute to objectives like preserving rural areas and the unique character of old towns as "grey belt".

Authorities mentioned that they were unable to specify how much of the green belt, which comprises 12% of England's total land area, may be redesigned. The final percentage will be determined by the decisions made by local councils.

Construction in grey belt regions will now adhere to new regulations, such as guidelines on the percentage of new residences designated as affordable.

Labour is also proposing to eliminate a rule that mandates new homes to be aesthetically pleasing, as they believe this requirement is too ambiguous and has been understood in various ways depending on the location.

The Greens criticized the planning changes as a way for Labour to avoid addressing the housing crisis properly. They believe that what is really needed is a significant investment in affordable and environmentally-friendly council housing.