In England, the approval process for housing near train stations will be simplified
The British government has introduced new planning rules in England that provide for automatic approval for residential construction near train stations. According to The Guardian, thousands of new homes could potentially be built within 10 minutes of transportation hubs, including on greenbelt land.
The changes were incorporated into England’s National Planning Policy Framework. The government has also set minimum targets for housing construction in areas near such facilities. Ministers expect the new policy to help meet the goal of building 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
As the publication notes, two years into its five-year parliamentary term, the government has reached about a quarter of this target. Specific areas where the new approach will be applied have not yet been named. The newspaper also reported that one of the criteria could be a train connection between a station and a major urban center with a frequency of at least four trains per hour.
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Housing Minister Matthew Penickuk confirmed to Sky News that the policy will apply to well-connected stations outside urban areas, particularly in the green belt. According to him, there is not enough previously developed land suitable for construction in the right locations to meet the necessary construction volumes. He added that development of green belt land will be considered only in exceptional cases, and lower-quality plots will be offered first.
The rules also strengthen support for development in environmentally sustainable locations, protect pubs from being converted into housing or offices, and stipulate that in large developments, at least 40% of housing must be accessible to people with disabilities. Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice stated that the changes curtail the powers of local councils. Shadow Minister for Housing James Cleverly also criticized the government’s initiative.
