Its new housebuilding targets aim to see 1.5 million new homes built within the first five years of a Labour government.

In a statement released today, the party stated that it will not build on genuine nature spots and will set tough conditions for releasing green belt land for housebuilding so that building more homes and protecting nature go together.

Labour stated that it is committed to prioritise building on brownfield land first, but can’t build the homes that Britain needs without also releasing some greenbelt, including poor quality land, car parks and wastelands currently classed as green belt. 

The party claims that it will make improvements to existing green spaces, making them accessible to the public, with new woodland, parks and playing fields.

Labour’s housebuilding targets will adhere to five guiding principles to ensure that the new affordable homes are built in a way that protects natural green spaces and doesn’t put undue pressure on public services and infrastructure.

Firstly, the party will prioritise brownfield land for development before moving onto “poor quality” and “ugly” areas of the greenbelt.

The plans also want to target at least 50% affordable housing delivery when land is released, and it is essential that the plans boost public services and local infrastructure, like more schools and new health centres.

Terry Woodley, managing director of development finance at Shawbrook, commented: “Labour's proposed plans to require councils to build on the 'grey belt' and utilise brownfield sites could be a step in the right direction.

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“The UK is in urgent need of solutions to address the housing shortages, and developing brownfield sites could be a useful piece of the puzzle.

“However, it is not the sole solution, and it can come with its challenges.

“Though our research shows that 77% of developers agree that location is still the biggest driver of property sales and brownfield sites allow for attractive urban living options, these sites can often pose a unique set of challenges and may not be as attractive to developers compared to other options.

“While this could be a positive change, any government considering these steps must ensure that they’re taking a multi-pronged approach which includes an overhaul of the planning process to adequately tackling housing issues if we are to see real progress over the next 12 months and beyond.”

Colin Brown, head of planning and development at Carter Jonas, said: “It is encouraging to see that Labour are at least attempting to grapple with the green belt conundrum.

“I absolutely agree that there are many sites designated as green belt which do not reflect the public’s perception of what the green belt actually is, including previously developed sites.

“There is also some logic in prioritising the use of ‘grey belt’ land where releases are needed to meet housing requirements, however, a future government will have to use multiple levers to genuinely achieve a change in housing delivery. 

“This will include the inevitable need to deliver some development on current green belt land that does not neatly fit the ‘grey’ label.

“There are many areas that simply do not have a legacy of brownfield land where more difficult decisions absolutely must be taken if we are to house our growing population, including, critically, those in current housing need.”