Minister threatens to override councils on land rezoning in bid to speed up delivery of housing

"Local authorities get dressing down after just two changed land designation since request from government"

"Housing Minister James Browne has said he will override local authorities to rezone land to speed up the delivery of housing if they do not begin the process themselves immediately."

"He has written to council bosses imploring them to act with more urgency and to remind them of their "collective responsibility" to address the crisis."

Only two land designations have been changed since the government's request, prompting a rebuke from national officials. Housing Minister James Browne warned he will override local authorities to rezone land to speed up the delivery of housing if councils do not begin the process themselves immediately. He wrote to council bosses imploring them to act with more urgency and reminding them of their "collective responsibility" to address the crisis. The minister signalled readiness to use central powers to force rezoning decisions and accelerate housing supply. The move links central government impatience with local inaction and frames rezoning as a key lever for tackling the housing shortage.

Read at Independent