Relaxed planning rules will make it easier to extend
Changes to planning rules are set to make it easier for landlords to extend – and will open up new development opportunities close to key transport hubs.
The Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published on Monday, will support applications that will increase housing density and will make it easier for developers to secure planning permission in places with good transport links.
This includes a “default yes” for applications for homes close to railway stations.
The framework also supports new development within the boundaries of existing residential properties, making it easier for landlords and homeowners to extend – although comes with the caveat that plans must be consistent with the overall street scene and cannot block out light or invade privacy.
What exactly is the NPPF?
The framework is the Government’s rulebook for planning authorities in England and means that local policies will carry less weight than any national rules they are in conflict with if there is a planning dispute.
Many of the reforms were included in the draft NPPF published last December, but some key changes have been announced this week, with the document including specific new protections for pubs, with developers needing to prove they are no longer viable before converting them into homes, offices or shops.
Announcing the plans, the Government said the changes will cut down on bureaucracy and are part of a wider overhaul of the planning system to tackle the housing crisis and drive growth.
Angela Rayner, the re-appointed housing secretary said: “By unlocking thousands of homes around well-connected transport hubs, we're helping people live closer to work, school and the services they rely on, while backing local businesses and driving growth in our communities.”
The Government has pledged to build 1.5 million new homes in England within its first five years in office, with Andy Burnham promising the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period.
