Housing Secretary Angela Rayner is introducing rules that will give automatic approval to homes built near railway stations under a revised National Planning Policy Framework.
The changes mean a "default yes" for developments within walking distance of train, tram and London Underground stops. The framework was published on Monday and applies to homes within a reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations.
The Government is just over a quarter of the way to its target of building 1.5 million homes in England after two years of the five-year parliament. An estimated 392,400 net additional homes were delivered in England between July 2024, when Labour took office, and 14 June this year. Around 600,000 new homes would have been needed in the first two years to stay on track with the target.
Ms Rayner said: "A safe, secure home is the foundation of opportunity, but too many people are being priced out of the communities where they want to live and work. By unlocking thousands of homes around well-connected transport hubs, we’re helping people live closer to work, school and the services they rely on, while backing local businesses and driving growth in our communities. That’s how we’ll tackle the housing crisis and raise living standards for people in every corner of the country."
The planning changes will also mean that conflicting local positions carry less weight if they are inconsistent with national decision-making policies.
Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly said Labour was "failing abysmally" to meet the 1.5 million homes target. He added: "To try to fix their own mess, Labour are planning a power grab, seizing control from local communities and forcing them to accept development in the wrong areas because Labour won’t build in the right areas." Sir James also said the Prime Minister "is going to overrule councils on green belt development and launch a new campaign of garden grabbing".
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: "These reforms are in direct contradiction of Andy Burnham’s devolution agenda. Far from empowering local councils who actually know their communities, they strip power from the people who live there and hand it to Whitehall so ministers can ram through major housing developments while sidelining residents and ignoring the infrastructure that already can’t cope."
Under the new system, Sport England will continue to advise on significant cases. The Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust will only be notified about relevant applications. The Gardens Trust described the change as "devastating news" and warned it will put parks at risk. Trust chairman John Watkins said: "This devalues these special places and makes them vulnerable to poorly informed development."
Chancellor John Healey said: "We want to drive growth in every postcode and help more working people into home ownership. A secure home is the heart of all our lives, helping people put down roots, plan for the future and build a good life for themselves and their families. This is about creating opportunity, prosperity and stronger communities across the country."
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August 16, 2026
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