The government has today announced a series of draft policies aimed at making the planning system and land supply more responsive to the market. The papers, Planning for Housing Provision and an ODPM/Treasury paper More and Better Homes have been released alongside a paper on strengthening greenbelt protection and streamlining the planning gain system. They have arisen in response to Kate Barker’s recommendations for increasing housing supply and the industry’s warnings about the effect of housing undersupply on the wider economy and society. Key elements of the policy include the introduction of five year land supply studies jointly agreed between developers and local authorities, and reviews of regional plans to be undertaken where an area's housing market changes significantly. Protecting the greenbelt is a key element of the policy. Housing and planning minister Yvette Cooper said: “Barker identified the planning system as a key part of the problem of housing undersupply and we think it is not functioning effectively at the moment: it can take years for land to be identified through the planning system for development. Planning decisions are also being made on an individual basis rather than in a planned sustainable way. These changes are about making the …