A new innovative approach to planning will help deliver more 'affordable' homes faster, according to Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.

The proposed changes, first set out in the government's housing white paper, will boost supply and affordability, as well as making sure homes are built in the right places.

It is estimated council's across England spend around £3 million every year on employing consultants to work out how many new homes are needed in their area. Long legal disputes over these figures when preparing local plans can also lead to unnecessary delays and add to the costs.

Under the proposals, local areas will have an open conversation about the number of new homes needed. The system does not set targets, however it is a starting point to ensure that it will be quicker for each local area to produce a realistic plan of its housing need and review it at least every five years. Local people will engage with the plan-making process, ensuring homes are well designed to meet the needs of all the community, and important local environmental areas are protected.


In addition, areas that struggle to meet their needs locally will work with neighbouring councils to plan across a wider area. A new “statement of common ground” will see better cooperation across council boundaries on planning issues to plan for homes including in new towns or garden villages. While there is already a duty on councils to plan together on infrastructure and public services, including housing, the government said evidence suggests this is not working effectively in some areas.

Neighbouring councils will also be expected to set out the cross boundary matters within an agreed area, looking at the housing need for the area, distribution of homes and plans to meet any shortfalls. If effective cooperation does not take place, government will be prepared to take action to ensure communities and neighbouring councils are not at a disadvantage and make sure the homes their area needs are planned for.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said this new approach will "cut the unnecessarily complex and lengthy debates that can delay house building".

"As anyone who has tried to buy or rent a home recently would probably tell you, the housing market in this country is broken," he said.

"The simple truth is that for far too long we haven't built enough homes and we don't build them quickly enough.

"This new approach will cut the unnecessarily complex and lengthy debates that can delay house building. It will make sure we have a clear and realistic assessment of how many new homes are needed, and ensure local communities have a voice in deciding where they go."

A public consultation on the proposals has been launched today, 14 September. It will run for eight weeks until 09 November.

To view the consultation, visit here.

(LM/MH)