Publication

Planning: new measures to increase delivery

Summary

The proposed revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework pose significant challenges for local authorities, but are unlikely to result in a step-change in housing delivery


  • The new standard methodology for calculating housing need means the planning system will have a greater focus on granting consents in areas of highest need. However, it misses the Government’s national target of 300,000 new homes per year by 11%.
  • To hit the Government’s target, planning policy needs to be better supported by other government policy. Only 15% of the homes enabled by the Housing Infrastructure Fund are in the highest-demand areas.
  • The new Housing Delivery Test is a positive step in making local authorities more accountable for meeting the targets set in plans. We estimate that by 2019, 21 local authorities will face the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
  • Some 51% of local authorities have adopted an up-to-date local plan. The threat of government intervention appears to have had a noticeable effect, with 65 local authorities publishing or submitting a plan for examination during the past year.
  • In the year to April 2018, 61 local authorities lost at appeal due to not having a five-year land supply. Across England, local authorities have, on average, 5.8 years of land supply, up from 5.3 years in 2017.