Government signals ‘default yes’ for housing near rail hubs
Housebuilding projects located near well-connected train stations will receive an automatic presumption in favour of development under new MHCLG plans aimed at increasing supply of high-quality, affordable homes in key towns and cities.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government said the move is designed to cut commuting times, expand access to housing, and strengthen the economic role of transport hubs.
Housebuilders will be encouraged to target sites adjacent to train stations, while local authorities in England will be required to notify the government when they intend to refuse schemes of more than 150 houses.
The housing secretary will hold the power to make final determinations on proposals above a specified size threshold.
The measures sit alongside plans to streamline statutory consultee requirements, reducing delays and development costs, as part of the government’s drive to meet its 1.5m homes target.
The reforms follow the launch of Platform4 in July, a development company combining the efforts of London & Continental Railways and Network Rail’s property team tasked with unlocking 40,000 homes on brownfield land around railway stations.
Four initial sites have already been identified, including Newcastle Forth Goods Yard and Manchester Mayfield, feeding into the government’s wider strategy to boost productivity, economic growth and living standards across the North.
Further planning changes focused on improving certainty for schemes near rail, tram, and other mass-transit stations will be set out in a forthcoming pro-growth, rules-based National Planning Policy Framework, due for consultation later this year.
The government says the economic benefits of development around stations justify extending the new approach to land within the Green Belt.
The default presumption in favour of development will apply uniformly across local authorities.
Proposals will also introduce minimum housing-density requirements for these transport-adjacent sites.
The package also targets a reduction of up to 40% in the volume of applications handled by certain statutory consultees, cutting time and administrative burden.
The government has also said it will consult on removing Sport England, The Gardens Trust, and Theatres Trust from the statutory consultee list.
Additional announcements intended to further speed up delivery are expected from the Housing Secretary before year-end.
Housing secretary, Steve Reed said: “I promised we’d get Britain building and that’s exactly what we are doing. But it has to be the right homes in the right places and nearby transport links are a vital part of that.
“We’re making it easier to build well-connected and high-quality homes, using stronger powers to speed things up if councils drag their feet, and proposing to streamline the consultation process to cut back delays.
“This is about action: spades in the ground, breathing new life into communities, and families finally getting the homes they need.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, said: “We’re ending years of dither and delay by green lighting affordable new homes for working people.
“This is another demonstration that our Plan for Change is getting spades in the ground faster, connecting people with jobs and opportunities closer to where they live, and boosting towns and cities across the country.”
