The government says untapped land near commuter transport hubs will be unlocked to build new housing.

Many of the homes will be for the rental sector – and the UK’s largest landlord, Grainger, has welcomed the proposal.

Ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech on Wednesday on economic growth, the government has reiterated its target of 1.5m new homes over five years and says it will make “150 decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of the Parliament.”

The government will ensure that when developers submit an application for acceptable types of schemes in key areas – such as in high-potential locations near commuter transport hubs – that the default answer to development is ‘yes’. 

A government says: “This will unlock more housing at a greater density in areas central to local communities, boosting the government’s number one mission to grow the economy. These measures will transform communities, with more shops and homes nearer to the transport hubs that working people rely on day in day out.”

The government statement once again talks of attempts to “streamline decisions on critical infrastructure projects” and “slashing red tape in the planning system” and “turning the page on the decline and decay of the past.”

That means looking again at the input from expert bodies who developers are required to consult and replacing current systems of environmental assessment.

Reeves says: “I am fighting every single day in our mission to kick start the economy, deliver on our Plan for Change, and make working people better off. That includes avenues that others have shied away from.  

Too often the answer to new development has been ‘no’. 

“But that is the attitude that has stunted economic growth and left working people worse off. We need to do things differently and that journey began as soon as I started at the Treasury in July. 

“These are our next steps and I can say for certain, there is more to come.”

Helen Gordon,  chief executive of Grainger plc – a Build To Rent specialist which is also the UK’s largest listed residential landlord – comments: “The Government’s proposals to unblock the planning system and turbo boost economic growth are both bold and welcome. Prioritising housing around transport hubs like train and tube stations is the right approach. 

“TfL and Network Rail, by partnering with private sector leaders, like Grainger, are already creating greener communities that are less reliant on cars. With a shortage of 4.3 million homes, we need bold action to stimulate supply. 

“Today’s proposals could go farther if the Government unlocks billions of pounds of further institutional investment into the UK housing market through the fast-growing Build to Rent sector.”