Thousands of new homes will be built around England's train, tram and underground stations, as part of a planning shake-up announced by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner.
The planning system will be streamlined to fast-track building quality homes, helping families live closer to work, schools and transport.
Green belt development allowed near stations
Under draft revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), proposals will get a 'yes' even if they are on traditionally protected green belt land, provided they are within walking distance – around 800 metres – of a railway station served by at least two trains per hour in one direction.
The government says these 'common-sense changes' will make better use of underdeveloped land around stations while creating jobs, unlocking investment, driving growth and connecting communities.
Pubs given extra protection
Pubs will also be given extra protection from being closed, with the new proposals making it harder for developers to turn them into flats or shops. Officials said pubs and music venues are the lifeblood of communities and the changes will prevent them from being lost without good reason.
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.”
She added: “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.”
Part of wider transport strategy
The latest proposals follow on from policies announced by Sir Keir Starmer's government in 2025, which wanted to change planning laws to improve housebuilding around railway stations. The Department for Housing at the time said it would reform the planning framework to give default approval to building applications around rail infrastructure, in a bid to meet the government's 2024 manifesto commitment.
The plans are part of a key commitment outlined in the government's strategy for better integrated transport, published in April this year. It set out an ambitious vision for integrating different modes of transportation into a more coherent system, making travel easier to plan, and thereby more accessible and reliable.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “The changes being announced today turn long-held ambitions into reality for our communities. Densification, combined with high-quality walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, will support healthier lifestyles, improve access to jobs and services, and protect important public transport services.”
The government says these reforms are part of its wider overhaul of the planning system, not only to tackle the housing crisis, but also to drive investment and 'good growth in every postcode'.
Housing figures and political reaction
Some 392,400 net additional homes have been built in England between July 2024 – when Labour came into office – and June 14 this year. Around 600,000 new homes would need to have been added in the first two years to keep pace with the 1.5 million target over five years.
Chancellor John Healey said: “We want to drive growth in every postcode and help more working people into home ownership.” He added: “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.”
However, shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said Labour was 'failing abysmally'. He said: “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 went on to say that Andy Burnham is 'going to overrule councils on green belt development and launch a new campaign of garden grabbing'.
Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice added: “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.”
