What are Gove’s planning reforms, and will housing influence general election?

Michael Gove has pledged to get tough with councils he accuses of failing to enable housebuilding at the required level.

In a speech at the Royal Institute of British Architects in central London, the Housing Secretary announced sweeping reforms that seek to strike a tricky balance between speeding up the planning process and ensuring communities approve of proposed development.

– How has the Government performed on housing supply?

The Conservative manifesto said progress to a target of 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s would continue, with the aim of rebalancing the housing market towards home ownership.

Some believe the required volume is higher due to population growth and a need to replace poor quality accommodation.

Research commissioned by the National Housing Federation and Shelter found 340,000 homes need to be supplied every year in England, with at least 145,000 categorised as affordable.

Government figures show housing supply peaked in 2019/20 at 243,000 but annual rates have fallen since then, with a total of 232,820 new homes provided in 2021-22.

Plans to introduce compulsory local housing targets were ditched by the Government last year in response to the threat of a backbench rebellion prompted by concerns that the views of local people would be bypassed, but the Housing Secretary has recommitted the Government to the 300,000 annual target.

– How is Michael Gove proposing to speed up housebuilding?

The Housing Secretary did not mince his words as he warned councils that block legitimate development could be stripped of planning powers, adding some were guilty of arbitrary refusal of planning permissions.

Mr Gove said the Government would publish “robust league tables” highlighting councils’ performance on delivery, which would show “how the system is gamed at the moment by some”.

Councils will be given a deadline of three months to identify and plan for projected housing needs in their areas, a short window for a process that has previously taken much longer.

Failure to meet the deadline could lead to development being imposed on local areas, Mr Gove said.

– What exemptions will be put in place?

Despite the move to significantly tighten central control over local planning, councils will have some flexibilities under proposed exemptions in a new policy framework.

In a move aimed at averting opposition from Tory MPs in shire areas where there is frequently local opposition to development, councils will not be required to identify greenbelt land for possible housing.

Under the plans, development can also be blocked locally if the character of an area would be significantly altered.

Mr Gove said brownfield sites should be prioritised, with details on how to make this easier set to be announced next year.

 – Is the Government targeting particular areas for accelerated housebuilding?

Michael Gove has announced an expansion of Cambridge with more than 150,000 new homes around the city as part of wider economic development.

This would be delivered through the creation of a statutory body with the power to compulsorily purchase land, as the Government seeks to build on Cambridge’s status as a centre for science and technology.

The Government is also focused on the capital, where Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is accused by Mr Gove of failing to build enough homes.

Mr Gove has written to Mr Khan to say he has commissioned an independent review of aspects of the Mayor’s London plan.

In another strong assertion of central control, Mr Gove appears to threaten to remove planning powers from City Hall.

“If you cannot do what is needed to deliver the homes that London needs, I will,” he said.

In response, Mr Khan tweeted that a record number of homes had been built in London.

“Oh dear.. the Tories are desperately trying to distract from their catastrophic housing record,” he added.

– Will housing be a key issue in the general election?

Polling shows about a fifth of voters tend to cite housing as an important concern, placing the issue among middle ranking priorities.

However, there will be areas where the issue is more of a concern, including in the types of constituencies that could prove pivotal to the outcome of the election.

Concerns about the use of greenbelt land could influence voting in traditional Conservative rural areas, with the Liberal Democrats in particular poised to capitalise on any local unease over development.

The issue of housing is also likely to be more of a priority in poorer urban areas which include Labour-held seats and the former Red Wall.

Higher levels of social housing and concerns over living conditions will bring the issue into sharp focus for many.

More broadly, although it is not cited among the most important issues, housing feeds into many other high profile policy areas.

The state of the economy is consistently the most important issue cited by voters, but addressing housing shortages is seen as key to driving growth.

The quality of housing also plays a key role in determining health, with implications for the NHS – another key priority.

– How has Labour responded to the Government’s plans?

Sir Keir Starmer has claimed Labour would build 1.5 million homes in its first term and Michael Gove’s announcement shows the Government acknowledges it is vital to be bold on the issue that could be perceived as a weakness.

Deputy Labour leader and shadow housing secretary Angela Rayner played on Tory divisions over the issue, insisting Michael Gove and Rishi Sunak had “stripped away every measure that would get shovels in the ground and houses built to appease their backbenchers”.

“The Conservative Government has sent housebuilding into crisis, with rock-bottom rates of planning permission decisions, spiking interest rates and housebuilding set to plummet,” she added.