New Government, Planning Policy and Challenges…

The Chancellor’s plans to ‘build Britain back together’ are hugely significant for the property and investment sector in particular. The plans include creating jobs and 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament (a hugely ambitious target) and the biggest increase in social housing and affordable housing in a generation.

The most notable planning reform to be introduced in the coming weeks and months is the requirement for local planning authorities to undertake strategic reviews of Green Belt boundaries, with the aim of releasing some Green Belt or ‘Grey Belt’ land for housing development. There is no doubt that Green Belt development is crucial to effectively addressing the housing crisis.

We await further details on how the so-called “Grey Belt” might be defined, where it exists and how it is accessible, who will conduct the assessments and on what basis, and what factors will determine whether the Grey Belt is suitable for development – ​​from environmental issues to sustainable transport and more.

Difficult decisions

Labour has set out a bold and ambitious plan to deliver ‘Cities of the Future’ as a significant initiative to address the housing crisis, but delivering 1.5 million homes is a hugely challenging task and we wonder whether this can be achieved without the support of local planning authorities. The task of creating significant new communities will inevitably mean using greenfield or Green Belt land. The decision to reclassify low-quality Green Belt land as Grey Belt is a necessary first step in freeing up the most sustainable land for new development. However, this will be a controversial move which will inevitably be met with opposition from environmental groups and local residents, in fact some opposition MPs have already expressed concerns, and these concerns will only intensify as further details emerge. Difficult decisions such as this will become commonplace if the new government is to have any real hope of achieving its ambitious housing targets.

Will the Grey Belt be recognised in planning law? As we know from the way the NPPF has been manipulated, whether to appease NIMBYs or to advance political priorities, something this significant would require legislation. And new legislation requires thorough consultation and support from a range of stakeholder groups: it is not a quick fix.

Level of opposition

On the subject of local opposition, perhaps the most significant statement in Rachel Reeves’ speech was her final comment on development: ‘We will not succumb to the status quo, which responds to compromise by always saying no and pushing the national interest below other priorities.’ We saw far too much permissiveness under the previous government, largely centred around green spaces/green belt – but permissiveness is the path of least resistance: anything else can be a challenge.

Don’t underestimate the level of opposition to rural and open-air development. Given Labour’s rise in rural areas in the Southeast, East Anglia and the Midlands, new Labour MPs could find themselves facing a situation where many of their new voters oppose development, creating difficult choices.

In addition, to significantly increase housebuilding, not only a more efficient planning system is needed, but also access to skilled labour, materials and a strong market. Change of government is immediate, but making significant changes to all aspects of planning and development requires a longer process of observation, consultation and implementation. I believe it is important that we in the sector play a part in what will sometimes be a difficult process. We have first-hand experience of the successes and failures of the last 14 years and more and we want to make a positive contribution to getting Britain building again.

The first announcements by the new government mark the beginning of a new, more positive approach to planning that is long overdue, just as local reviews of Green Belt sites to enable essential housing development are long overdue. However, taking the first steps is crucial to achieving success. Labour’s support in this election is broad but shallow, which will require a careful balancing act to deliver a significant increase in new homes while doing so sensitively to minimise opposition.