#planning-policy

#planning-policy

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Steve Reed, the housing secretary, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, will announce the package within weeks, in what officials say will be a time-limited intervention designed to stall the sudden drop in new building in the capital. The plans, details of which are still being negotiated, have been welcomed by developers but condemned by homelessness charities who say it will increase the record numbers of people who are homeless in the UK.

Solihull Council has proposed reclassifying four villages - Knowle, Dorridge, Bentley Heath and Balsall Common - as towns to limit the impact of grey belt planning reforms. By changing how these settlements are officially defined, councils aim to influence where development can take place and protect the character of rural areas. Solihull's Draft Settlement Hierarchy consultation proposes that certain rural settlements be considered towns rather than villages.

Yet, recent changes to national planning policy could unlock new potential avenues for tracking down land; specifically, alterations made to the policy around brownfield sites. In 2024, the government pledged its support for the development of brownfield land - that is, land that's previously been developed for another, usually industrial, purpose. It also released £68 million's worth of funding to select local authorities to help clear empty buildings, former carparks and industrial land for house building, including self and custom build.