Chancellor Rachel Reeves promises developers they will no longer need to worry about “the bats and the newts” when they plan more houses.

She said housebuilders will be asked to pay into ‘a nature fund’ if an impact on wildlife is identified at a potential new build site.

Shocked

In a speech that outlined the Government’s plans to kickstart economic growth, Reeves said she was “genuinely shocked” at how slow the planning process was.

And she said the problems can be summed up by £100 million spent on a ‘bat tunnel’ for the HS2 rail line.

The Government has set a target of 1.5 million new homes built within five years, and wants to remove obstacles to planning approval for building.

Speeding up

At the weekend, Reeves said the Government will set up ‘zoning schemes’ to boost new build homes around train stations.

“It’s about speeding things up, making a presumption in favour of building – and in this case building housing and saying that these are exactly the sorts of places you want housing,” she told The Observer newspaper.

If it’s around a commuter train station, we want that development to happen.”

“We’re saying if it’s around a commuter train station, we want that development to happen.”

“So, the idea of building around train stations is saying it’s not just a home – it’s a home with access to good jobs paying decent wages.”

Expert reaction

Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark

“Many of the Chancellor’s words are welcome news for many people who live in England and Wales, and Propertymark has long campaigned for a balanced approach when looking towards future housebuilding ambitions.

“We hope that when the Planning and Infrastructure Bill becomes law it can deliver the correct level of housing in regions where demand is prevalent.

“It is reassuring to see housing play a key part of Ms Reeves’ mission to make Cambridge a technological hub by delivering 4,500 new homes.

“However, with continuous guarantees to build more homes, more detail is needed as to how the Chancellor will develop the UK’s workforce and skills to meet its ambitious targets as currently the UK Government would need to build thousands of new homes every week before the next election in order to meet its goals.”

Nick Sanderson, CEO at Audley Group

“Rachel Reeves has rightly focused today on the need to unlock our complex and sometimes bureaucratic planning system.

“The Planning and Infrastructure Bill must address the housing challenge this country faces in a more creative way,” he says.

“It;s not just about approving large scale housing developments for first time buyers. It’s about enabling the building of more specialist housing, like much needed units for older people, to free up the houses we already have.

“Only then can we see the growth that the Chancellor is focused on delivering, as well as giving people across the country the right housing for their needs.”

Roger Mortlock, CEO at campaign group CPRE

“We welcome the government’s plan to support the construction of more homes close to existing transport hubs, particularly in our towns and cities. Provided that they are genuinely affordable and built on brownfield land”.

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