The government have been keen to emphasise their house building credentials and the recent update to National Planning Policy Framework seeks to underline this.
The new plan introduces ambitious targets to build 370,000 homes annually, as part of a wider strategy to deliver 1.5 million homes over the next five years.
Key elements of the updated NPPF include:
- Mandatory Housing Targets: Local councils will now have legally binding targets to increase housing construction. These targets will focus on areas with the greatest need and potential for growth, aiming to tackle both the housing affordability crisis and the large number of people on social housing waiting lists (currently 1.3 million households). The government also seeks to reduce the number of people living in temporary accommodation.
- Local Planning and Greenbelt Review: The updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will require councils to either update their existing local plans or develop new ones that align with the national housing objectives. Councils will need to identify areas of land suitable for development, with a particular focus on lower-quality "grey belt" land rather than the greenbelt. However, any development in the greenbelt will be subject to stringent requirements, including the need for infrastructure such as schools, healthcare, and transport, alongside a high proportion of social and affordable housing.
- Social Housing Emphasis: The government is pushing for a greater focus on social housing in new housing developments. Local authorities and developers will be encouraged and empowered to build more genuinely affordable homes to meet local needs.
- Support for Builders: The government emphasises its commitment to supporting developers and councils who are working to meet housing targets, highlighting the importance of ensuring new housing meets the needs of working people.
The overarching goal is to ease the housing crisis by increasing supply, particularly in areas where housing is most unaffordable, and ensuring that new developments address both the quantity and quality of homes required by local communities.
It will be interesting to see whether the update to the NPPF will result in a significant increase in the nation’s housing supply, but certainly developers will be encouraged by the updates issued by the current administration.
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