A New Era in Town Planning? What the first 7 days of labour in power suggest for the future of planning
With a new head in parliament, it begs the question to ask what are Labour’s new plans and ideas for the town planning sector? Housing, the environment, commercial development & infrastructure and the planning system & Local Government are areas that Labour has suggested making changes to in their recent manifesto, so what is in store for this and what have they done in their first 7 days of power to try and implement this?
Labour Manifesto 2024
What is Labour’s housing policy?
Labour is promising 1.5 million homes while in power. Let’s keep in mind that the current national target has been 300,000 homes per year and this was last achieved in 1977. So, what is Labour’s plan for meeting this?
For statistics on house builds over the years, please click here.
Let’s break this down:
- Ensuring authorities have up-to-date local plans.
- Deconstructing and rebuilding the power of sustainability.
- Increasing funds to add more planning officers.
- Revamping the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework).
- Utilising the different ‘belts’ (Brown belt, Green belt & introduction of the Grey belt).
- A new generation! Of land that is – urban extensions and regeneration projects.
- Supporting housing associations and councils for more affordable housing.
- Setting out steps to require cross-boundary strategic planning in combined and mayoral authorities.
What about affordable housing? Has this been considered and valued in the party’s plans?
- Planning obligations will be heightened to ensure housing developments constitute affordable homes.
- Making it a priority that homes should be fitted for social rent.
- Ensuring there is enough capacity for councils and housing associations.
- Switching up the existing Affordable Homes Programme so that existing funding is utilised for more homes.
Commercial Development & Infrastructure
Making plans to develop an industrial strategy and revising the NPPF in order to meet the current economic climate. They say this would help build laboratories, digital infrastructure, and gigafactories.
Planning System & Local Government
Labour shared their views on how the planning system will work and cooperate with local governments to help better utilise and develop the land use.
Labour has stated that in order for the planning system and the Local Government to work well together, there needs to be longer-term funding settlements for local government and better resources for planning departments (yes please!)
What has Labour stated and started to progress with, in the first 7 days?
From the recent speech by our new female Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, it would seem that Labour has started to action some of their plans from the Manifesto.
What’s up with the NPPF (national planning policy framework) and how will it support the housing crisis?
Labour plans to reform the NPPF with a focus on their key aim, ‘growth’, for the approach to the planning system. This will be decided before the end of the month! And will include measures such as mandatory housing targets. For instance, Labour has already planned to accelerate stalled housing sites, beginning with Liverpool Central Docks, Worcester Parkway, Northstowe and Langley Sutton Coldfield, who represent a combined total of 14,000 homes. A specialised team will also be put into place to progress the stalled housing sites across the UK.
Ban on wind farms lifted!
Energy is hugely considered in the planning system for a multiple array of projects to ensure for a sustainable approach. Labour has already lifted the ban of onshore wind farms in England, that the Conservative Party deemed that having less wind farms was a good idea… how and why – nobody knows?!
Labour is going to consult on bringing onshore wind back in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime, meaning decisions on large developments will be taken nationally and not locally.
Energy projects are also going to be a priority so that progression can be made (something the Conservatives seemed to lack) with ideas such as a spatial plan being created for energy by seeing where it can be placed for other infrastructure sectors.
The Secretaries of State for Transport and Energy Security and Net Zero will prioritise decisions on infrastructure projects that haven’t been thought about for quite some time
Let’s talk ‘strategic planning’!
Labour has reviewed who will take charge in parliament to help assist with the planning system and Local Government. Reeves states the following:
- Plans are in the works to set out a policy on bringing the following to strategic planning, consisting of Combined Authority Areas, Local Growth Plans and devolution deals (transferring powers and funding from national to local government).
- Support for local authorities with an addition of 300 Planning Officers across the country.
- A change in minister power is needed to ensure a collaborative understanding.
The Deputy Prime Minister has been appointed to help take urgent action to assist with the planning system and stated the following:
- Write to local mayors and the Office for investment opportunities to ensure that if there was an important planning consideration, then it will be brought to attention.
- Local Planning Authorities will be made aware of what is to be expected of them from now on, such as universal coverage of local plans and reviews of greenbelt, brownbelt and greybelt boundaries.
What does this suggest for the future and how does this impact your development aspirations?
In a nutshell, none of us accurately know yet…
The key test will be the implementation of the revised NPPF, which is promised by the end of the month, but given how much Labour has actioned in the first 7 days and that their power word, ‘growth’, deeming to be a force in their plans, it is a clear indication of the primacy that housing and planning will take under this new Government.
Increasing resources for planning departments and support from the Deputy Prime Minister and Local Government show a clear indication the workings within the planning system will move at a faster pace, meaning that you won’t have to wait as long to see whether your planning permissions were secured or not (woohoo!).
However…
The implementation of 300 new Planning Officers poses the question of whether it is going to be enough given that there are 317 Local Authorities in the UK. Is it really going to make a difference or will Labour have to rethink their strategy?
With the ban onshore windfarms lifted already, this sustainable source of energy implemented should help manage to lower costs as the energy delivers cheaper, cleaner, and more secure homegrown energy.
The introduction of a grey belt should hopefully benefit the housing crisis, as its aim will be to help limit large built-up areas and stop large towns from merging into one. Labour intends the grey belt to be used for new affordable family homes.
Rachel Reeves, Chancellor [July 8th 2024] – “The work towards a decade of national renewal has begun”.
Any Questions
If you have any thoughts or questions you’d like to discuss regarding the recent promises set out by Labour, our expert planning consultants are more than happy to discuss these with you.
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