The housing secretary is widely expected to relax or scrap greenbelt housing targets as part of revisions to the much-delayed National Planning Policy Framework
Housing secretary Michael Gove is planning to finally announce the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) next week- with some key changes to greenbelt housing targets.
Several outlets are reporting that councils will be given the freedom to set lower housing targets, as well as being allowed to allocate less land to development if it can be argued that more development would require building on greenbelt land, or potentially damage the character of the area.
The move follows a backbench rebellion last year
Led by Theresa Villiers, several Conservative backbenchers leveraged their influence over the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to ensure that mandatory targets were dropped for councils in December 2022.
Despite many pointing out that this would undermine the Government’s previously set target of building 300,000 new homes a year, the rebellion was successful and targets became advisory rather than mandatory.
One industry source speaking to the Guardian decried the move as: “a capitulation to a nimby faction of the Conservative party.”
“Removing the requirement for local housing needs assessments and allowing councils to build as few homes as they wish will see housebuilding in some areas collapse. The overriding outcome of these measures will be fewer new homes, worsening housing affordability and a huge loss of investment in jobs.”
Changes to greenbelt housing targets have been called a “NIMBY’s Charter”
Since then, about 60 local authorities have withdrawn or delayed housing plans as they wait for the new rules to be published.
Ahead of the expected announcement, a spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation (HBF) denounced the package of policies as a “NIMBY’s Charter”.
“If the proposals are to be formalised, no matter how ministers try to package this, it is a capitulation to a NIMBY faction of the Conservative Party,” he said.
“Removing the requirement for local housing needs assessments and allowing councils build as few homes as they wish will see housebuilding in some areas collapse.
“The overriding outcome of these measures will be fewer new homes, worsening housing affordability and a huge loss of investment in jobs.”
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has yet to comment on the reports.
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