The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced this stance will apply equally across all local authorities.

A consultation into this approach, as part of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, will be launched later this year. These new rules will extend to land within the green belt.

The government is encouraging housebuilders to build more homes near these transport links and councils in England will also be required to tell the government when they intend to reject new housing developments over a certain size.

If councils reject applications for developments of 150 homes or more, ministers will be informed so they have the opportunity to step in.

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Particular attention will be paid to those applications where a planning committee intends to refuse it contrary to the advice of planning officers.

Applications called in by ministers will also be sped up through the removal of the mandatory requirement for inquiries, with the option to consider matters through written representations before reaching a decision where appropriate.

“We’re making it easier to build well-connected and high-quality homes, using stronger powers to speed things up if councils drag their feet, and proposing to streamline the consultation process to cut back delays,” said MP Steve Reed, housing secretary.

“This is about action: spades in the ground, breathing new life into communities, and families finally getting the homes they need.”