The UK government has announced that housebuilding projects near well-connected train stations will be automatically approved, provided they meet specific rules.
In a bid to cut red tape and reach its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the end of Parliament, the government has said that housebuilding near major train stations will receive a default ‘yes’ in future, and housebuilders will be encouraged to build near these transport links.
This will help thousands more working families and commuters to live and work near train stations and open the door to new job and education opportunities, the government said.
In addition to the provision of default approval for these projects, councils in England will also be required to tell the government when they intend to reject new housing developments comprising 150 homes or more.
The Housing Secretary will then have the final say on whether the new project in question should go ahead, and particular attention will be paid to applications where a planning committee refuses a project contrary to the advice of planning officers.
Other changes announced by the government to tackle the UK’s housing crisis include the streamlining of the statutory consultee process, which will save property developers time and money.
The default ‘yes’ for new properties near major train stations will extend to land within the Green Belt and will apply equally across all local authorities.
Proposals will also include minimum housing density standards for these sites, which are expected to be exceeded in many cases.
“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,” said Housing Secretary Steve Reed.
“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,” Reed said.
This follows reforms to environmental permitting announced by the government last month, which aim to slash wait times for permits and remove permit requirements for low-risk activities.
Relaxation of permitting rules could help builders save up to 16 weeks on their overall build timelines rather than waiting for environmental permitting approval.
The change also means that in some cases, energy projects such as solar and onshore wind farms can now be constructed without requiring an environmental permit.
The government said that further announcements to speed up housebuilding across the country would be made before the end of the year.
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