Tag: Housing and Communities

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 2 July 2025.

Government sets out ambitions for a social rent revolution through the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

Hundreds of thousands of social and affordable homes, including 60 per cent for social rent, will be built and standards will be driven up under plans by the Deputy Prime Minister to usher in a decade of housing renewal across the country.

This significant package of renewal will help deliver on our Plan for Change, unlock new jobs and turn the tide of the entrenched housing crisis, which has seen families and over 165,000 children stuck in temporary accommodation without the safe, secure and stable home they deserve.

That’s why the government is today setting an ambition to deliver around 300,000 new social and affordable homes, through the unprecedented £39 billion new Social and Affordable Homes Programme announced at the Spending Review. Through this, we are setting an ambitious target that at least 60% of homes will be for social rent which is linked to local incomes – achieving this would mean delivering around 180,000 homes for social rent. That is six times more than the decade up to 2024.

Alongside this, a long-term plan – Delivering a Decade of Renewal for Social and Affordable Housing – is being published today (Wednesday) to set out how the government will deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, alongside driving up the safety and quality of homes.

Living standards for millions of social housing tenants will also be driven up under new plans to update and modernise the Decent Homes Standard, which will be extended to privately rented homes for the first time, and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards will be implemented for the first time in the social housing sector.

Further measures set out in the plan includes transformative changes to Right to Buy and other measures to protect vital council housing stock, unlocking investment in new and existing social housing, and increasing overall standards alongside a rallying call for the sector to step up and deliver.

This significant package is the latest action the government is taking to deliver on the Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes and drive-up living standards, which includes reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the recent announcement of a new publicly-owned National Housing Bank. This will further help to turn the tide on the housing crisis which has left over 165,000 children in temporary accommodation and locked a generation out of a secure home.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

“We are seizing this golden opportunity with both hands to transform this country by building the social and affordable homes we need, so we create a brighter future where families aren’t trapped in temporary accommodation and young people are no longer locked out of a secure home.

“With investment and reform, this government is delivering the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, unleashing a social rent revolution, and embarking on a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing in this country.

“That’s why I am urging everyone in the social housing sector to step forward with us now to make this vision a reality, to work together to turn the tide on the housing crisis together and deliver the homes and living standards people deserve through our Plan for Change.”

Since coming into office, the government has listened carefully to social housing providers and tenants. The new plan, published by the government today, reflects this engagement and builds on the investment strategy laid out at the Spending Review.

The five steps form the government’s plan to deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, alongside a lasting change in the safety and quality of homes.

Each step builds on work already undertaken to bring stability to the sector, but the Plan also publicly signals to developers, councils, investors and to the public the government’s serious intent and ambition for social and affordable housing. It also gives providers the stability and certainty they need to be able to borrow and invest in both new and existing homes knowing the government has a comprehensive plan for the sector.

The five steps are to:

1. Deliver the biggest boost to grant funding in a generation
2. Rebuild the sector’s capacity to borrow and invest in new and existing supply
3. Establish an effective and stable regulatory regime
4. Reinvigorate council housebuilding
5. Forge a renewed partnership with the sector to build at scale

To deliver the housing the country needs, the government confirmed at the Spending Review a new 10-year £39 billion programme to kickstart building at scale.

Homes England – the government’s housing and regeneration agency – will be responsible for delivering the majority of the funding, with up to 30% of funding  – up to £11.7bn over the 10 years – being used to support housing delivery from the Greater London Authority in the capital.

The long-term nature of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme will also offer more certainty for developers to invest and effectively plan housebuilding for the future, compared to the previous five-year £12.3bn 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme.

The last five year 2021-26 programme averaged £2.3 billion per year – this means the government will be spending almost double this on affordable housing investment by the end of this Parliament (£4bn in 2029/30).

To achieve the ambition of delivering more social and affordable housing, the government is issuing a ‘call to arms’ to everyone with a role in social and affordable housing to prove they can deliver at scale and at pace. And as part of this effort, we will work with the sector in the coming months to agree a joint overall target on how many social and affordable homes can be delivered overall.

A new long-term 10-year settlement for social housing rents will be introduced from April 2026 to provide the social housing sector with the certainty they need to reinvest in existing and new housing stock.

The government is also publishing a consultation on how to implement a convergence measure, with options for this being capped at £1 or £2 per week– with a final decision to follow at this year’s Autumn Budget.

Further views will be sought on a new Decent Homes Standard which will modernise the standard, with proposals that hold tenant safety at their core but remain proportionate and affordable for providers to deliver. Views will also be sought on updating standards to make sure homes are warm and efficient through a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard for the social rented sector. This is all alongside our work to implement Awaab’s Law – this government is prioritising safety as a first step.

The government has also set out a package of wider reforms to the Right to Buy scheme to protect vital housing stock and to enable councils to ramp up delivery of new homes. This follows the reduction in maximum cash discounts that was implemented in November 2024.

This package complements work already taking place to get Britain building including through the updated National Planning Policy Framework, the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill and a new National Housing Bank to get more spades in the ground.

Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said:

“Everyone deserves to live in a warm, secure and affordable home, which is why we are setting out bold plans today to transform housing over the next decade.

“This includes proposals to introduce an energy efficiency standard for social housing for the first time ever, helping tenants benefit from cheaper energy bills and more efficient homes.”

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 25 June 2025.

More planning appeals will be processed via a faster, simplified procedure under new regulations.

Simplified planning appeal procedures will be rolled out to the majority of planning appeals decided via written representations following a Ministerial decision to change regulation.

Expected to begin by the end of 2025, the reform is about streamlining processes to ensure planning appeal decisions can be made more quickly, benefiting developers, local authorities and communities alike.

Under the new process the majority of written representation appeals will accept only the evidence put before the local planning authority during application. This will not only speed up appeals but will also importantly, encourage a full body of evidence to be provided at application stage, giving local planning authorities the information they need to make decisions – aligning with universal planning principles of keeping decisions local.

Paul Morrison, Planning Inspectorate CEO, explains:

Every delayed planning decision represents potential delays to development and uncertainty for local communities. This change is a common-sense approach to planning that benefits us all by removing unnecessary administrative burdens and focusing on what matters: well-informed, timely decisions based on high-quality applications from the start.

The simplified appeals process will deliver:

• A faster, more efficient planning appeals process that benefits everyone
• Keeping planning decisions local and reducing unnecessary bureaucracy
• Submit once, submit right – providing the complete picture at application stage

Initial estimates anticipate changes to regulation being made by the end of the year. From this date, applications to local planning authorities become eligible for the simplified appeals process.

More detail on the changes is available via dedicated guidance. We will update our procedural guide once we receive a final draft of the changed regulations.

The Planning Inspectorate remains committed to maintaining a fair planning system where all appeals are carefully considered against local and national planning policies.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 19 June 2025.

New changes to remove local connection rules for young care leavers and victims of domestic abuse to access social housing.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 28 May 2025.

Thousands of homes will be built faster on smaller sites across the country as complex planning rules are streamlined, onerous regulatory burdens eased, and financial firepower is provided to SME builders.

The current system makes it far too difficult for smaller builders to get spades in the ground – with a small site of 10 homes jumping through the same planning hurdles as one with 100 or more.

Smaller firms, which provide local jobs and train eight out of 10 construction apprentices, have seen their market share shrink since the 1980s, when SME builders delivered 40% of the country’s homes.

Today’s changes will help turn this around, driving up competition across the sector and helping deliver the Plan for Change milestone of 1.5 million homes, so more working families and young people can achieve the dream of homeownership.

Today’s proposals include:

• Faster decisions for small sites: Minor developments of up to nine homes will benefit from streamlined planning and eased Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements, with faster decisions being taken by expert planning officers, not planning committees;
• A new ‘medium site’ category: Sites between ten to 49 homes will face simpler rules and fewer costs – including a proposed exemption from the Building Safety Levy and simplified BNG rules, making it easier to deliver biodiverse habitats on these sites, delivering a win-win for nature and development;
• More land and financing options for SMEs: Homes England will release more of its land exclusively to SMEs, and a new National Housing Delivery Fund to be confirmed at the spending review will support long-term finance options, such as revolving credit facilities and lending alliances.
• A new pilot to unlock small sites for SMEs: the Small Sites Aggregator pilot in Bristol, Sheffield and the London Borough of Lewisham will unlock sites that would otherwise not have been developed, while attracting private investment to build new social rent homes. Building on a model developed by Lloyds Banking Group’s Social Housing Initiative, the Small Sites Aggregator will help tackle the housing shortage, address unviable small plots of land, and create local jobs supporting the government’s Plan for Change.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“Smaller housebuilders must be the bedrock of our Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes and fix the housing crisis we’ve inherited – and get working people on the housing ladder.

“For decades the status quo has failed them and it’s time to level the playing field.

“Today we’re taking urgent action to make the system simpler, fairer and more cost effective, so smaller housebuilders can play a crucial role in our journey to get Britain building.”

Full details are being set out today for the modernising of planning committees – ensuring elected councillors focus on the most significant proposals and larger developments rather than small-scale projects or niche technical details, while more faster decisions are made by expert trained planners.

Under these plans, once a development has been agreed in principle technical details won’t keep going back and forth to committees – accelerating housebuilding and saving council planning departments time and money.

Further support announced today for local builders includes:

• £100 million in SME Accelerator Loans to help smaller firms to grow and invest using part of the £700 million extension to the Home Building Fund announced in December.
• £10 million for councils to fund more specialists to speed up environmental assessments, getting spades in the ground faster.
• A £1.2 million PropTech Innovation Fund to support innovation in small site delivery, for example through use of new data tools.

It comes as the government unveiled its plans to train up to 120,000 new apprentices, including within construction – ensuring the industry has what it needs to get building.

The wide-ranging package for SMEs today builds on the government’s planning overhaul so far, with the new National Planning Policy Framework alone expected to drive housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years and add £6.8 billion to the economy by 2030.

CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, Charlie Nunn said:

“We strongly welcome the government’s announcement today that it will pilot the Small Sites Aggregator in Bristol, Sheffield and Lewisham.

“Through the Social Housing Initiative, we’re proud to have helped ignite this innovation in housing development and finance – unlocking the small, brownfield sites in our communities which are lying empty yet have immense potential to provide good quality homes in our towns and cities.

“This exciting partnership between the public and private sectors will increase investment at pace into the new, genuinely affordable homes that are needed across the UK.”

Further information:

The government has published a new working paper on planning thresholds for small and medium housing sites.

The government has also launched a consultation reviewing Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This will be open for 8 weeks.

As part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government is also launching a new consultation on reforming planning committees and their role in the planning process. This consultation includes detailed proposals for a national scheme of delegation which would direct the majority of minor and technical applications to planning officers, freeing up committees to consider the most complex and controversial by categorising applications into Tier A or B. Tier A applications will go to officers, while Tier B applications have the ability to be considered by committees if necessary. It will be open for 8 weeks.

The Home Building Fund is administered by Homes England and is designed for SME housebuilders in England that are struggling to access loans from traditional lenders. Last year the government announced a £700 million extension to the Fund.

The new National Housing Delivery Fund will provide a range of funding tools to support SMEs, including support for revolving credit facilities. Further details will be announced at the Spending Review.

This government has also launched a £1.2m PropTech Innovation fund to inject innovation into small site delivery. Examples of potential solutions include the use of data and tools to provide certainty on future infrastructure capacity for SME housebuilders, meaning they can make the case for investment easier.

The government is making available a further £10m this financial year to help local planning authorities implement BNG, on top of £35m provided in previous years.

The government is also announcing today that it will consult on how we apply BNG for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) to provide consistent regulations for developers – many of them who are already delivering biodiversity gains at scale.  Measures will be in place from May 2026.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 25 May 2025.

Thousands of new homes promised to communities will be delivered faster, thanks to major changes to make sure developers deliver on their commitments and do not leave sites half-finished for years.

For the first time, under new government proposals announced today, housebuilders will have to commit to delivery timeframes before they get planning permission, making sure they play their part to accelerate housebuilding and tackle the housing crisis head on to deliver security for working people.

Under new rules, housebuilders will also have to submit annual reports showing their progress to councils to keep them on track. While most developers want to get on and build, those who consistently fail to build out consented sites and those who secure planning permissions simply to trade land speculatively could also face a ‘Delayed Homes Penalty’ worth thousands per unbuilt home, paid directly to local planning authorities.

Those deliberately sitting on vital land, without building the homes promised, could see their sites acquired by councils where there is a case in the public interest and stripped of future planning permissions, showing the government’s Plan for Change means business to deliver 1.5 million new homes.

Large housing sites, producing over 2,000 homes, can take at least 14 years to build, meaning working families and young people spend years deprived of homeownership or the ability to rent an affordable home.

But where more than 40% of homes are affordable, build-out is twice as fast. The government is therefore also testing a new requirement for large sites to be mixed tenure by default – helping to build more homes, including more affordable homes, faster.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“This government has taken radical steps to overhaul the planning system to get Britain building again after years of inaction. In the name of delivering security for working people, we are backing the builders not the blockers. Now it’s time for developers to roll up their sleeves and play their part.

“We’re going even further to get the homes we need. No more sites with planning permission gathering dust for decades while a generation struggle to get on the housing ladder. Through our Plan for Change, we will deliver 1.5 million homes, fix the housing crisis and make the dream of home ownership a reality for working people.”

These decisive changes will support housebuilders to adapt to build more, and faster, by incentivising a model that works for developers and communities.

When major reforms to streamline the planning system were introduced last summer, the industry pledged to work with the government to build out as quickly as possible.

They now need to make good on that promise. The government continues to back the industry with the tools and support it needs—but in return, the Deputy Prime Minister’s message to housebuilders is they need to get on and build.

These reforms play a key part of the government’s Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes this Parliament and deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

Work is already underway through the new pro-growth National Planning Policy Framework, including mandatory housing targets for councils, which will drive UK housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years and add £6.8 billion to the UK economy by 2029/30.

This is on top of seismic planning reforms through the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make it quicker and easier to build 1.5 million homes and boost the economy by up to £7.5 billion over the next decade.

Housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, Cllr Adam Hug said:

“We are pleased the Government has acted on the LGA’s call for it to be easier for councils to penalise developers and acquire stalled housing sites or sites which have not been built out to timescales contractually agreed, ideally with the recovery being made at pre-planning gain prices.

“Local government shares ambitions to boost housebuilding and work hard with communities and developers to deliver new sites. Too often they are frustrated when developers do not build the homes they have approved. While intervention of this sort is a last resort, this move is crucial to help ensure meaningful build out of sites.

“The ability to apply a ’Delayed Homes Penalty’ is a power that councils have been asking for and means that local taxpayers are not missing out on lost income due to slow developers, but it must be set at a level that incentivises build out.

“Private developers have a key role in solving our chronic housing shortage but they cannot build the homes needed each year on their own. Ahead of the Spending Review, we have also set out the measures needed to empower councils to also be able to build more affordable, good quality homes quickly and at scale.”

Further information

The government is publishing a Planning Reform Working Paper entitled ‘Speeding Up Build Out’. This is alongside publishing a technical consultation on requiring transparency and accountability measures for build out rates on housing sites.

The technical consultation sets out proposals to require developers of 50 or more homes utilising powers introduced in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 to provide:

• a build out statement with their planning application;
• a commencement notice when they commence their development; and
• an annual progress report tracking build out progress,

The Working Paper on ‘Speeding Up Build Out’ makes proposals for discussion with the sector. This includes:

• An overall strategy to speed up build out, drawing on the best available evidence of the causes of slow build out.
• A new proposal on a Delayed Homes Penalty, which would be a last resort measure available for local authorities where a developer has agreed a build out schedule in their planning permission but falls materially (10% or more) behind it, without a good reason. This will require primary legislation and only apply to future planning permissions.
• Confirmation the government will implement a new power introduced by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 relating to the compulsory purchase of land which will remove risks to the use of compulsory purchase orders on stalled sites.
• Confirmation the government will implement the reforms to completion notices in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 which local planning authorities can issue if development is unlikely to be completed within a reasonable period.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 15 May 2025.

Changes will mean more money in the pockets of hard-working people when they reach retirement, delivering on government’s Plan for Change.

Street cleaners, school cooks and other dedicated public servants are set to benefit from a package of reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) that will end discrimination and lead to more money in people’s pockets.

Today’s measures build on the government’s wider Make Work Pay agenda that will back millions of workers by banning exploitative zero-hours contracts and ending ‘Fire and Rehire’ and ‘Fire and Replace’ practices.

Under measures announced today, the Local Government Pension Scheme for England and Wales will become the first public service pension scheme – of which three quarters are women – to make all maternity, shared parental and adoption leave automatically pensionable.

And issues with current regulations that saw survivors of members receiving smaller pensions on the basis of their relationship type will be fixed – ending historic inequalities.

These steps will directly benefit people working on the front line, serving school lunches, cleaning buildings, managing libraries and cleaning streets.

Loopholes that allow those guilty of serious offences to continue benefitting from the pension scheme will also be closed, as part of a crackdown to ensure public servants’ money does not go to those who do not deserve it.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said:

“These historic changes will give hard working street cleaners, librarians, school cooks and other public servants the security that they deserve.

“This is a critical step in ending years of discrimination, backing our dedicated public servants and helping to Make Work Pay.”

Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE MP, said:

“Having worked in local government for years, I know first-hand how much those who help keep the lights on across the country rely on the Local Government Pension Scheme.

“Through these reforms, we will make sure they are properly rewarded and able to enjoy their hard-earned retirement.”

Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell MP said:

“Today’s changes will ensure more public servants get the benefits and security they deserve.

“Our reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme are bringing fairness and equality to workers, while boosting the potential of schemes to drive opportunity and growth in local communities.”

Latest estimates show 74 per cent of the scheme’s seven million members are women, and one of the most significant gaps in a woman’s pensionable service is often maternity leave.

Making the final 13 weeks’ leave automatically pensionable will be a significant improvement and help close the gender pensions gap women face.

Another issue the reforms aim to address is a disparity in survivor benefits – which are paid to the scheme’s members’ partners upon their death.

Due to issues with the existing regulations, there have been instances where those in same-sex marriages and civil partnerships receive a more generous pension entitlement than those in opposite-sex marriages and partnerships. But under proposed reforms, all discrimination on the basis of the sex of those affected will be removed.

In addition, an age cap currently in place that requires an LGPS member to have died before the age of 75 for their survivor to receive a lump sum payment will also be abolished.

The government is also taking steps to keep people in the scheme by enhancing data collection on why people opt out, in a bid to ensure as many people as possible benefit.

A consultation on the proposed reforms to LGPS members’ benefits is now open for 12 weeks, and those affected are encouraged to register their views.

Other measures the government is taking to make work pay include:

• Banning exploitative zero-hours contracts
• Ending ‘Fire and Rehire’ and ‘Fire and Replace’ practices
• Strengthening statutory sick pay

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 6 May 2025.

New analysis shows economy could be boosted by up to £7.5 billion over the next decade thanks to the pro-growth Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Planning reforms to accelerate the delivery of new homes, roads and railways, and clean energy projects will boost the UK economy by billions of pounds, according to new analysis.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill’s Impact Assessment, published today (Tuesday, May 6) has shown the government’s pro-growth changes to get Britain building could benefit the economy by up to £7.5 billion over the next 10 years.

A growing economy is at the heart of our Plan for Change to improve the lives of hard working people and by making it quicker and easier to build 1.5 million new homes, the reforms will turn the tide of the housing crisis and ensure critical infrastructure – including public transport links and clean energy projects that will protect billpayers – is sped up.

Lower costs for businesses, fewer delays and more certainty as a result of the Bill’s measures could lead to further investment and provide an additional boost to the economy.

Even this assessment is expected to be an underestimate of the true economic value the reforms will have in boosting development. The current assessment also does not account for recent amendments to the Bill to overhaul the pre-application stage for critical infrastructure, which government analysis suggests will add another £1 billion over this Parliament.

This huge boost to the economy is on top of the measures already implemented in the new pro-growth National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Office for Budget Responsibility recently said the changes to NPPF alone will drive housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years, and deliver an additional £6.8 billion by 2029/2030.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“Getting Britain building will not only boost economic growth but ensure we deliver the homes and infrastructure working people deserve.

“This landmark pro-growth Bill will get spades in the ground and the foundations laid for a new generation of homes, as we deliver on our Plan for Change.”

The analysis has also been given a ‘green rating’ by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which means the assessment is considered robust and fit for purpose by the independent scrutiny body that considers them.

The Bill will help deliver on the Plan for Change by streamlining the building of 1.5 million homes and crucial infrastructure needed to make Britain a clean energy superpower and protect billpayers and reduce future energy shocks.

This will help put money back into the pockets of working people and support the government’s push to make at least 150 decisions on major infrastructure projects this Parliament, with 17 decided so far.

Further reforms tabled at Committee Stage, and not included in the impact assessment, will streamline the pre-application process for windfarms, new roads and other major infrastructure projects.

For more information:

• The government has now published its impact assessment for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which has now received a green rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee. This can be read in full here.
• The analysis includes higher, central and lower estimates for how much money the Bill could add to the economy over 10 years. The highest estimate was up to £7.5 billion, the central estimate was £3.2 billion and the lower estimate was £1.3 billion.
• This assessment does not include the amendments tabled at the Committee Stage, which the government predicts will further boost the economy by £1 billion over the course of this Parliament.
• It is expected to be an underestimate of the true impact as there will be ‘wider, un-monetised benefits such as the benefit to society from quicker delivery of housing and infrastructure, and the macroeconomic contribution of increased development supported by the Bill”.
• The Bill will deliver a range of measures to speed up the delivery of critical infrastructure and 1.5 million homes.
• The OBR analysis of the National Planning Policy Framework forecast 0.2% to be added to GDP by 2029/30– worth around £6.8bn in today’s prices.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 24 April 2025.

Today (24 April), the government has announced the appointment of five members to the Building Control Independent Panel.

This delivers on a Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendation, accepted by the government, to set up a panel to carry out a review of whether to change the way in which building control is delivered in England.

The panel will be chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt, whose leadership of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety has already helped to shape vital reforms across the sector. An engineer by profession, Dame Judith currently serves as an adviser on building standards to both the UK and Australian Governments and is a member of the International Building Quality Council (IBQC).  She will be joined by four experts with extensive experience in the regulation and use of the building control sector: Elaine Bailey, Ken Rivers, Rt Hon Nick Raynsford and Dr David Snowball.

The panel members’ collective expertise will support a thorough and independent review of the current building control model, including on the Inquiry’s recommendations to consider the issue of commercial incentives from the system and exploring alternative options and approaches. The panel is expected to provide a report to the government this autumn.

Minister for Building Safety, Alex Norris MP, said:

“The appointment of this independent panel is a significant step in our response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. We need a building control system that puts safety first and supports our plans to accelerate remediation. It must also help to deliver 1.5 million safe, high-quality homes over this Parliament, and be equipped to meet the demands of a modern construction sector.

“Their work will play a vital role in shaping a safer, more accountable building industry, and I look forward to receiving the panel’s recommendations as they take this important work forward.”

The Chair for the Building Control Independent Panel, Dame Judith Hackitt said:

“The panel stands ready to get to work on this important review.  We will work at speed but we come at this issue with an open mind and a determination to further raise standards”.

Background on the Building Control system

The building control system is there primarily to oversee key safety standards set in legislation and ensure that buildings are checked and safe in areas such as fire and structural safety. Following concerns raised by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, especially around conflicts of interest in the system, a new panel has been appointed to look at whether changes are required.

Notes to Editors

• The establishment of the panel was announced in the Government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry on February 26, 2025.
• The Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommended that the Government establish an independent panel to consider whether to remove commercial interest from building control and whether to move to a national authority decision model.
• The panel’s role is advisory and independent.  The aim is a report to Government in the autumn with a response before the end of the year.
• Further updates, including the panel’s Terms of Reference, will be published on GOV.UK shortly.

Panel members:

Elaine Bailey

Elaine Bailey is a member of the Industry Safety Steering Group and was formerly the CEO of Hyde Housing (2014-2019). Elaine holds several non-executive directorships, including at MJ Gleeson plc, a house builder operating in the North and Midlands; McCarthy&Stone Shared Ownership (MCSSO), a For Profit Registered Provider of older persons’ housing with a strategic partnership with Homes England; and Andium Housing, Jersey’s largest provider of sub-market value homes for rent and purchase.

Ken Rivers

Ken is a non-executive director at the HSE, alongside his role as a member of the Industrial Safety Steering Group. Prior to that he chaired the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations Strategic Forum and led the tripartite group since its inception, bringing industry and regulators together to identify and address important matters of managing major hazard in the UK. He spent 38 years of his career working at Shell, through various different positions and was President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP

Nick Raynsford was a Labour MP for 24 years. During this time he held positions as Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Minister for Construction, Minister for London and Minister of State for Local and Regional Government. The latter included responsibility for the Fire and Rescue Service. Since then he has had a number of advisory and non-executive roles in the private, voluntary and public sectors. This included chairing CICAIR (CIC Approved Inspectors Register), the organisation responsible until April 2024 for registering private sector Building Control bodies. Nick is a member of the New Towns Taskforce, working with MHCLG.

Dr. David Snowball

David spent his working career in the Health and Safety Executive, joining as a Factory Inspector in 1984 and retiring 35 years later. He held senior posts in operational divisions overseeing HSE intervention and enforcement and was also responsible, as Director Regulation, for the quality of operational work. He spent 15 months as Acting Chief Executive before his retirement. He now sits on the Industry Safety Steering Group alongside Dame Judith and is a non-executive director at the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority (Feb 2022- present).

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 23 April 2025.

Clean energy projects, reservoirs, railway lines, and other major infrastructure to be built faster, under changes to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Clean energy projects, public transport links, and other major infrastructure will on average be delivered at least a year faster, as the government accelerates planning reforms to unleash growth and restore Britain’s rightful place as a world leader in building.

Burdensome statutory consultation requirements unique to major infrastructure projects will be scrapped, through amendments to the pro-growth Planning and Infrastructure Bill, cutting down the average two-year statutory pre-consultation period by half and paving the way for new roads, railways, and windfarms that will bolster the country’s connectivity and energy security.

Developers currently spend significant time and money on long, technical documents resulting in communities feeling fatigued and confused, which is a direct result of overly complex planning rules that are leaving working people deprived of the things their areas need to thrive. It also disincentivises developers making improvements to projects for fear of having to re-consult, even if in the community’s best interest.

Recognising community voices remain vital, the government will bring this process in line with planning applications for major housing schemes, and set out new statutory guidance to promote meaningful local engagement without repeating these flaws. This will allow changes to be made dynamically based on community feedback, reducing delays and potentially saving over £1 billion for industry and taxpayers this Parliament. These changes will help ensure Britain is open for business, attracting billions of pounds of new private investment.

This will go even further in streamlining infrastructure delivery through the government’s landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill, as part of the Plan for Change to power and heat homes with clean energy, raise living standards, create well-paying jobs, and put more money into the pockets of working people and families. The reforms will also boost the government’s efforts to build 1.5 million homes by making it easier to deliver the roads, reservoirs and energy generation needed so we can restore the dream of homeownership to families across the country.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

“Critical national infrastructure is key to Britain’s future and security – so we can’t afford to have projects held up by tiresome requirements and uncertainty, caused by a system that is not working for communities or developers and holding back our true potential.

“We are strengthening the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make sure we can lead the world again with new roads, railways, and energy infrastructure as part of the Plan for Change, whilst ensuring local people still have a say in our journey to get Britain building.”

Alongside statutory guidance for developers on applications, the Planning Inspectorate will maintain high standards for accepting projects – informed by community engagement. Local authorities will also be made aware of proposed applications so that they can continue to play an important role informing and advising on developments, as well as advocating for local interests.

As a result, local people can still object and share their views but in a more effective way, with developers given the flexibility to adapt their schemes as needed without restarting the process: reducing delays and costs for projects, including datacentres, reservoirs, and solar farms, while ensuring local people’s voices are heard.

Meanwhile the government is already taking action – consenting more nationally significant solar projects since the start of the Parliament compared to the whole of the previous one, including the Mallard Pass Solar Project in Lincolnshire, and making the largest ever investment in offshore wind, as we deliver our Plan for Change milestone of 150 decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of the Parliament.

Examples of delays under current system:

• Fens Reservoir: Over 1,000 days in pre-application due to a number of issues including around consultation requirements, expected submission in December 2026, supplying 250,000 homes with water.
• National Grid – Bramford to Twinstead: 717 days in pre-application for 29km of overhead lines and underground cables.
• Hinkley Point C: Three years in pre-application consultation; Sizewell C spent around seven-and-a-half years at this stage.

Wider reforms in the Bill will streamline and speed up planning decisions, remove blockers to major infrastructure and housing delivery, and support environmental goals through the new Nature Restoration Fund to achieve win-win outcomes for both nature and the economy.

These changes build on the recent OBR forecast confirming the government’s planning overhaul, through an updated National Planning Policy Framework, will drive UK housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years and boost the economy by £6.8 billion by 2029/30.

Notes to editors:

Carl Trowell, President of Strategic Infrastructure, National Grid, said:

“Consulting with communities and stakeholders will always be a fundamental part of the way we at National Grid develop and shape our projects. We welcome the Government’s proposal today which will ensure that consultation and engagement can be more effective and targeted. This will accelerate the path to delivering critical infrastructure while continuing to ensure the views of local communities are heard.”

Benj Sykes, UK Country Manager, Ørsted said:

“Ørsted welcomes the ongoing work of the Government to reform the planning system, including these changes to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Engaging and working with communities and other stakeholders in the pre-application stage has always been central to our work developing new energy projects and will remain so; the changes being introduced will allow everyone involved in these engagements to focus on the issues that matter to stakeholders and local communities, and to our developments.”

James Robottom, Head of Policy, Renewable UK said:

“This announcement represents a significant step forward for the renewable energy industry, as it will enable us to speed up the delivery of vital infrastructure projects to boost the UK’s energy security, grow the economy and help us to reach the Government’s target of clean power by 2030.  The industry has a long track record of engaging early and closely with local communities and a wide range of environmental stakeholders, and this will continue as we want to carry on building projects with local support by giving communities a clear voice in the decision-making process. We look forward to feeding into the new guidance that will enable us to spend more time engaging with key stakeholders on the most important issues for each new project on a case by case basis and lead to even higher quality engagement and positive outcomes for nature.”

Sam Richards, CEO of pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, said:

“Today’s bold reforms to cut red tape and get vital infrastructure delivered faster are a big step toward unlocking clean energy, better transport, and the homes Britain desperately needs. Too often consultation is a long and expensive box ticking exercise. By slashing delays and encouraging real community engagement, the government is backing growth, investment, and the kind of national renewal we all want to see.”

Adam Berman, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Energy UK said:

“Energy UK is fully behind the Government’s mission to speed up the planning system, unlocking the investment in clean energy we need to secure our future power needs. More targeted engagement with statutory consultees will result in faster and more appropriate applications, allowing relevant public bodies to focus on planning applications that matter most to them.”

Richard Greer, Fellow, Climate & Sustainability Services, Arup:

“Building on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill with further legislative improvements will be essential to delivering the Government’s ten-year Infrastructure Strategy and its pipeline of projects across transport, energy, water, and the new economy sector (such as data centres).  A step-change in infrastructure delivery requires a comprehensive package of reforms that streamlines the entire project lifecycle.”

John Foster, Chief Policy and Campaigns Officer, Confederation of British Industry said:

“Access to energy, water, and transport connectivity remain major barriers to growth which if left untouched will hinder the government’s commitment to deliver the ambitious new homes and major infrastructure targets before the end of this parliament.

“By reducing the excess bureaucracy currently experienced by developers along with cutting down the decision-making time for infrastructure projects, the government is forging ahead with much needed reform to transform the planning system from an investment blocker into an enabler of growth.”

Kate DaSilva, Group General Counsel, Cornish Lithium Plc. said:

“The changes in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will help the UK build the nationally significant projects we desperately need, while ensuring that voices within local communities are still heard. At Cornish Lithium we are proud of putting the local community and environment first – listening to what is needed, answering questions and delivering for the communities near our projects. With the Government’s proposed changes Cornish Lithium will be able to maintain our approach, accelerate project delivery, build a domestic source of critical minerals, create jobs and grow the economy for Cornwall, the south west and the whole country.”

The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 9 April 2025.

• Road to recovery outlined in new commitments for local audit reform to streamline and fix the fragmented and broken system
• Reform will ensure local authorities get their books in order to restore transparency, provide better value for taxpayers and create effective public early warning system
• And up to £49 million in funding announced to support local authorities in clearing the backlog as part of the Plan for Change

New reforms to repair the ‘broken’ local audit system will boost taxpayers’ confidence  in council spending and streamline the sector so it’s fit-for-purpose, legal and decent.

Today, 16 commitments have been set out to achieve this, including simplifying financial reporting requirements and increasing capacity to avoid reliance on a small number of auditors.

The reforms will be backed by up to £49 million of support to help councils clear their backlogs and cover the additional cost of restoring audit assurance. Releasing funds to councils will be reliant on compliance with statutory backstops and linked to the publication of audited accounts and audit fees being paid.

In addition, a further £15m of grant was paid to local bodies in March 2025 as part of an existing package to help meet the wider costs of meeting audit requirements and fees.

Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE said:

We inherited a broken local audit system, not fit for purpose, inefficient, fragmented and with a massive backlog.

Taxpayers’ expect and deserve to have confidence in the way their money is being spent locally.  A functioning local audit system is the bedrock of local transparency and accountability so we are fixing the foundations of local government as part of our Plan for Change.

We are working in lock-step with local bodies to clear the backlog and move towards a simplified streamlined system.

The 16 new measures follow an open consultation on the local audit strategy, which attracted hundreds of responses.

The measures build on an existing commitment to set up the Local Audit Office as an independent and unified body, which will stop fragmentation in the system by co-ordinating functions spread across different organisations including the Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd, the National Audit Office and the Financial Reporting Council.

These reforms will be crucial to fixing the foundations and bringing long-term stability to local government as committed in the Plan for Change.

Further information:

• Up to £49 million in funding for clearing the local audit backlog will be paid in two stages during 2025/26,  in the form of a non-ring-fenced grant. Allocations will be based on the size of bodies’ audit fees and the number of modified audit opinions received.   Allocations will be reviewed before the second stage of payments in 2025/26 to take into account revised cost estimates.
• Funding of £15 million for 2024/25 was paid on 31 March  to eligible local government bodies towards the rise in audit fee expenditure. This includes allocations to 537 eligible bodies allocated as a proportion of Public Sector Audit Appointment fee scales.
• The full government response to the local audit reform strategy consultation can be found on Gov.uk here.
• Following the 13 December 2024 backstop, the system has taken a significant step forward. The vast majority of bodies (approximately 95%) published audited accounts for all years up to and including financial year 2022/23.
• While the government has been clear the broken system requires fundamental long-term fixes that cannot happen overnight, decisive and immediate action has already begun. In July, we announced a series of backstop dates to clear the backlog of hundreds of missing and overdue accounts which resulted in 95% of audited accounts being published.