GOVERNMENT PLANNING REFORM
The new Labour government has announced various reforms to the planning system with a view to stimulating economic growth and accelerating the delivery of housing across the country. We will need to wait till later in the year for the first round of changes to be finalised, but the key points appear to be:
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Restoring mandatory housing targets for councils
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Updating the method & data used to calculate these targets
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A strategic planning function (possibly regional) to operator across Council boundaries, to better plan for economic growth
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Potential building in green/grey belt areas with 50% of such houses being “affordable"
We note there is no Green or Grey Belt within the Parish of Hawkhurst and based on the current announcements no changes are proposed to the national policy relating to National Landscapes – previously known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty The new Labour government has announced changes to the planning system in order to increase available housing across the country.
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(September 2024)