UK chancellor to fast-track housing approvals near rail stations

UK CHANCELLOR of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves plans to fast-track planning approvals for housebuilding near big commuter rail stations as part of reforms that aim to deliver 1.5 million new homes over five years. 

Developers who submit acceptable projects in high potential areas near commuter hubs will be given a default “yes” under proposals designed to deliver greater housing density in key areas, part of a broader drive to boost economic growth. 

The government also plans to streamline approvals for major infrastructure projects, with a working paper published on Sunday (Jan 26), before a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to be introduced in Parliament in the spring. Proposals aim to cut so-called “red tape” in the planning process by simplifying consultation requirements, and replace environmental impact assessments with a leaner system of outcome reports.

“Too often the answer to new development has been ‘no’,” Reeves said in a statement accompanying the working paper. “But that is the attitude that has stunted economic growth and left working people worse off. We need to do things differently.”

The government has committed to making 150 decisions on major economic infrastructure applications over the current parliamentary term.

Reeves, who is due to deliver a major speech on growth this week as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government strives to quell criticism of its economic performance, will also be “championing” a regeneration project in Manchester’s Old Trafford district, according to the statement.