By creating a more efficient route for nationally significant developments, they have the potential to unlock investment, improve certainty and support economic growth.

To unlock the full potential of the property and construction sector and support the UK's ambition of building 1.5 million new homes, the same momentum can now be applied to housing planning. Building on the progress already made, continued focus on planning efficiency, planning capacity and the practical implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) will all play an important role.

Making the planning process work better

One of the biggest challenges housebuilders continue to face is the complexity and length of the planning process. Lengthy planning timescales increase costs, create uncertainty and make investment decisions more difficult, particularly for SME developers that often have less capacity to absorb prolonged delays.

Reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, introducing clearer and more consistent planning requirements, and ensuring decisions are made within realistic timeframes would give developers greater confidence to bring forward more schemes.

Streamlining the planning process doesn't have to mean lowering standards. Instead, it should support a more efficient and transparent system that gives developers, investors and lenders the confidence to back new housing projects.

Addressing resource pressures in local authorities

Alongside reforming the process itself, ensuring local planning authorities have the resources to deliver those reforms will be equally important. Planning departments across the country continue to face capacity pressures, even where applications are well prepared.

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The government's commitment to recruit and train 300 additional planning officers by the end of 2026 is a positive step. While it will naturally take time for new recruits to gain the experience needed, continued investment in planning capacity will help ensure reforms deliver lasting improvements over the longer term.

Unlocking brownfield and grey belt opportunities

Proposals to support development on brownfield sites and 'grey belt' land also present an opportunity to increase housing supply. As further detail emerges, greater clarity could help unlock more sites that are well suited for residential development.

Alongside this, environmental protections such as BNG remain an important consideration. While these measures play a vital role in supporting sustainable development, they can also add complexity to the planning process. Ensuring requirements are applied in a proportionate and practical way will be important in balancing environmental objectives with the need to accelerate housing delivery. The recent exemption of developments of 0.2 hectares or below from BNG requirements is a positive example of how policy can continue to evolve.

Building on positive momentum

Planning reform will inevitably take time, but the direction of travel is encouraging. Continued investment in planning capacity, support for developers and a proportionate regulatory framework will all help create the conditions needed to deliver more homes.

Building on the momentum of the Planning and Infrastructure Act by applying the same focus to housing would help unlock investment, boost confidence and accelerate the delivery of much-needed new homes, supporting the government's ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes.