By David Jones, managing director of Evans Jones 

On July 30, 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published draft reforms to the planning system aimed at delivering 1.5 million new homes annually. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner emphasised these reforms as crucial for addressing the housing crisis.

The core change involves revision to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with a consultation period until September 24. The revised NPPF aims to restore mandatory housing targets and the five-year housing supply requirement, removed in December 2023.

This restoration is expected to expedite housing applications, boosting local supplies. The new housing requirement is set at 370,000 units per year, representing a 20% increase.

A notable shift is the redefinition of "Grey Belt" land which is previously developed or land which has a minimally contributes to the purposes of the Green Belt. The draft NPPF proposes that development in sustainable locations, should not be deemed inappropriate, prioritising previously developed land, then Grey Belt land, and finally other sustainable Green Belt locations. Major developments on released Green Belt land must provide at least 50% affordable housing and necessary infrastructure.

Additional changes in the draft NPPF include:

• Affordable homes expected to meet identified local needs across both affordable homes for rent and affordable home ownership

• More support provided for commercial development which meets the needs of a modern economy

• Using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other identified needs .

• Significant weight should be placed on the importance of new, expanded or upgraded public services

The reforms encourage mixed-tenure sites for diverse communities and support commercial developments aligned with modern economic needs.

David Jones, managing director of Evans Jones said: "The proposed reforms go some way to redress policy amendments introduced by the Conservative administration in the 12 months up to the election in July.

"In Gloucestershire, the proposed Green Belt reforms will primarily impact Tewkesbury and Cheltenham boroughs, neither of which currently have a robust housing supply. Mindful of the lack of any significant brown filed sites in Cheltenham or Tewkesbury it is likely that some Green Belt release will be inevitable. To put this into context, the Green Belt in Gloucestershire extends to some 6100 Hectares. If only 1% of the existing Green Belt were released for development locally, it could create additional land for between 1500-2000 new homes.

"Whilst building more houses increases overall supply, it rarely has any impact upon affordability, house prices are determined by many factors unrelated to housing supply. Furthermore, the proposed policy amendments offer little to support small and medium size developers who continue to struggle to secure consent for smaller sites. Whilst I consider the changes are necessary and generally positive, increasing housing supply will not in of itself address the housing crisis".

For more information, visit https://www.evansjones.co.uk or get in touch via 0800 001 4090.