Prime Minister Theresa May has announced a major overhaul of the National Planning Policy Framework in order to speed up housebuilding across the country.

Speaking at a national planning conference in London today, 05 March, the Prime Minister set out new objectives that aim to maximise the use of land, strengthen Green Belt protections and place a greater emphasis on converting planning permissions into housing.

She also warned developers who are too slow to build houses that their past record could count against them when they bid for new planning permissions.

"Oliver Letwin is currently reviewing the causes of the planning permission gap. If he finds evidence of unjustifiable delay, I will not rule out any options for ending such practices,' she said.

"That may include allowing councils to take a developer's previous rate of build-out into account when deciding whether to grant planning permission. I want to see planning permissions going to people who are actually going to build houses, not just sit on land and watch its value rise.'

With over 217,000 new homes built last year, the Government is aiming to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s. However, more planning permissions need to be fast tracked into homes for first time buyers locked out of the housing market while the increasing older generation need the right homes designed to their needs.

Overall, the Prime Minister's revamp will focus on the following areas;

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• Greater responsibility - Local authorities will have a new housing delivery test focused on driving up the numbers of homes actually delivered in their area, rather than numbers planned for. Developers will also be held to account for delivering the commitments, including affordable housing and the infrastructure needed to support communities

• Maximising the use of land - More freedom will be given to local authorities to make the most of existing brownfield land to build homes that maximise density. Redundant land will be encouraged such as under utilised retail or industrial space for homes, with more flexibilities given to extend upwards on existing blocks of flats and houses as well as shops and offices

• Maintaining strong protections for the environment - Ensuring developments result in a net gain to the environment where possible and increases the protection given to ancient woodland so they are not lost for future generations

• Ensuring the right homes are built - Delivering more affordable homes that meet the housing needs of everyone wherever they are in their life, including sites dedicated for first time buyers, build to rent homes with family friendly tenancies, guaranteed affordable homes for key workers and adapted homes for older people

• Higher quality and design - Introducing new quality standards so well designed new homes are built in places people are proud to live in and live next door to

• More transparent planning process - Local authorities will be encouraged to work together and continue to close the gap between planning permissions granted and homes built. A new standardised approach to assessing housing need will be introduced with new measures to make the system of developer contributions clearer, simpler and more robust, so developers understand what's expected of them and will be in no doubt that councils will hold them to their commitments.

In her speech, the Prime Minister said: "This government is rewriting the rules on planning.

"With the major overhaul being published today, we're giving councils and developers the backing they need to get more homes built more quickly.'

Ian Anderson, Partner in the Planning and Development team at leading global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, said the draft National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the Government plans to step in and "turn up the heat' on both local authorities and developers to account for the number of homes being delivered.

"The Housing Delivery Test is the most significant change – it will put councils under pressure to deliver more homes or face the prospect of developers getting the right to 'build anytime anywhere',' he said.

"But local councils will also be under added pressure too as the government takes local house prices into account for the first time when setting local housebuilding targets."

(LM/MH)