It is the first day of a new government and as MPs find their lockers, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has laid out plans to rebuild Britain through an overhaul of the planning system. Mirroring their manifesto pledges, Ms Reeves has announced: 

 

• the reintroduction of mandatory local housing targets, 

• creating a taskforce to accelerate stalled housing projects, 

• reviewing greenbelt boundaries to release ‘grey belt’ land,

• ending the de facto ban on new onshore wind in England. 

 

It is important to stress that the Government are not offering a free-for-all on development and applications will still need to be judged on their merits, however in placing such emphasis on planning to kick start much needed investment, the Government is not only sending exciting positive signals to builders and landowners alike but is also shifting the focus onto “yes” rather than “no”. 

 

We should have more of a steer about how all of this is going to be achieved with the consultation paper on the National Planning Policy Framework promised by the end of the month, but all the signs are encouraging. For all of us in the planning and property sector optimism is in the air.