Housebuilding near transport to get automatic “yes”

New homes near train stations will receive a default “yes” to development, as part of further revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the government’s continuing plan to accelerate housebuilding.

Today (November 18) housing secretary Steve Reed confirmed that housebuilders would be encouraged to build more homes near transport links, so that “thousands more working families and commuters will be able to live and work near train stations”.

The “yes” default will apply to green belt land, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) “recognising the significant benefits for jobs and growth that can be unlocked by building around train stations”.

It will apply across all local authorities, with MHCLG also proposing minimum density standards for sites near to train stations which it expects to be exceeded “in many cases, to make the most of sustainable growth opportunities for local housing, jobs, and businesses”.

These plans follow the government’s announcement in August that it would “kickstart” the development of up to 40,000 new homes on surplus railway land. MHCLG has launched development company Platform4 to deliver the homes over the next ten years.

MHCLG said that these reforms would be proposed …