Labour's draft policy aims to deliver 1.5m new homes

Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, has announced a draft policy for England's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that aims to deliver 1.5m new homes. Under the new regime, all local authorities will have a duty to deliver more homes, and if they fail to produce a clear plan, the Government could take over the process. The new mandatory housing targets will rise from 300,000 to 370,000 per year. The Government plans to boost social and affordable housing, streamline the work of local authority planning committees, and review green belt land to identify potential development sites. The full definition of grey belt will be included in the new NPPF, which will be out for consultation until September but it will include sites on the edges of existing towns and villages, next to roads, and former petrol stations or car parks. Such projects in the green belt will be subject to particular rules, including that at least 50% of the homes must be affordable, and that developments come with infrastructure and a net increase in access to green spaces. 

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