Housebuilding around train stations will be given default “yes”, says Government

Housebuilders will be encouraged to build more homes near these transport links, and councils in England will also now be required to tell the government when they intend to reject new housing developments over a certain size, with the Housing Secretary able to have the final say on whether they should go ahead

Housebuilding near well-connected train stations will receive a default “yes” in future if they meet certain rules, ensuring more homes are built, says the Government. The Housing Secretary will also be empowered to remove planning blockages and fast-track large-scale applications.

In a press relezse issues this week, the Government announced that "thousands more working families and commuters will be able to live and work near train stations thanks to this drive to speed up housebuilding, which will help connect people to towns and cities, and open the door to new job and education opportunities". 

Housebuilders will be encouraged to build more homes near these transport links, and councils in England will also now be required to tell the government when they intend to reject new housing developments over a certain size, with the Housing Secretary able to have the final say on whether they should go ahead. 

These changes will be introduced alongside proposals to streamline the statutory consultee process, further saving developers time and money, ensuring spades can get in the ground quicker to meet the government’s 1.5 million homes target. 

Unlocking rural housing

Architect Russell Curtis, writing on his Linked In page, commented: "Three years ago we determined that there was space for at least 1.2m homes within 800m of England's rural train stations. Mapping every station in the country and excluding genuine constraints (natural habitats, flood risk etc.) resulted in the identification of more than 770 stations across the nation with various housing capacities.

"The obvious place for new homes is when public transport already exists; and it's not on the periphery of towns and cities where everyone needs a car to get around."

Another encouraging project connecting rail with a rural area is the Hope Valley Climate Action (HVCA) 'mini-Switzerland" plan. HVCA, with funding from the Foundation for Integrated Transport (FIT), is creating a plan for dependable, connected public transport in rural areas based on the best ideas from across Europe, especially Switzerland, whose rural transport system is a global benchmark.

The HVCA ‘Switzerland in the Peak District’ project is being supported by national transport experts Thomas Ableman and Nigel Hutton. It is drawing on lessons from Switzerland and adapting them to the needs of rural Britain. The team will develop a detailed, costed, and deliverable proposal, in time to inform the Government’s Integrated National Transport Strategy and the Peak Partnership led by the East Midlands Mayor. It will link with the Active Travel Masterplan currently being created by Derbyshire County Council.

The Hope Valley already has strong foundations for success — including the hourly rail service to all five local stations — and the potential to become a leading example of how better-connected, sustainable transport can reduce the need for car travel, strengthen local businesses, enhance the visitor experience, and benefit the whole community.

Platform4 – unlocking brownfield land for housing

The announcements build on work already underway following the launch of Platform4, a new property company set to unlock 40,000 homes on brownfield land near railway stations, with four sites already earmarked, including Newcastle Forth Goods Yard and Manchester Mayfield - supporting the governments wider plan for boosting productivity, growth and living standards across the north

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 of the Exchequer, 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.”

Planning reforms to give greater certainty and strength for development around well-connected rail stations, including trains and trams, will be proposed through a new pro-growth and rules-based National Planning Policy Framework, which will be consulted on later this year.  

Recognising the significant benefits for jobs and growth that can be unlocked by building around train stations, these rules will extend to land within the Green Belt, continuing efforts to ensure that a designation designed in the middle of the last century is updated to work today. 

The default “yes” will also apply equally across all local authorities, so that these benefits are seized across the country. The proposals will also include minimum housing density standards for these sites, expected to be exceeded in many cases, to make the most of sustainable growth opportunities for local housing, jobs, and businesses. 

Measures will also require councils to inform government when they’re inclined to block applications of 150 homes or more so ministers can decide whether to step in and make the decision instead, making sure that good housing projects don’t get lost.  

Particular attention will be paid to those applications where a planning committee intends to refuse it contrary to the advice of planning officers. 

Applications called in by ministers will also be sped up through the removal of the mandatory requirement for inquiries, with the option to consider matters through written representations before reaching a decision where appropriate.   

Alongside this, the package will drive down the number of applications considered by some statutory consultees by up to 40%, saving time, energy, and money. It will also consult on proposals to remove Sport England, The Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust from the list of organisations that have to be consulted by law.

Unleashing the biggest era of housebuilding in this country’s history remains at the heart of the Plan for Change, going further and faster to build 1.5 million new homes this Parliament. 

The Housing Secretary is expected to make further announcements to speed up housebuilding across the country before the end of the year