17th Aug 2026 17:26
(Alliance News) - Angela Rayner has insisted that the UK government is still on track to meet its target to build 1.5 million homes in England within five years amid efforts to speed up building.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner also rejected a suggestion that the shift to a "default yes" for developments around railway stations in England would give those already living in those areas less of a say.
She said Britain "cannot carry on" with building houses and vital links separately.
An overhaul of planning laws that aims to speed up homebuilding comes two years into the five-year Parliament, when the government is just over a quarter of the way to its target to build 1.5 million homes in England.
Asked during a visit to the West Midlands if she was confident of meeting the target, Rayner said: "I don't like failure. I'm very clear that we need these homes. We have already seen nearly 400,000 since we came into office, new homes that have completed.
"We've seen a 15% increase in start-ups for housing starts. We want to continue on that path and that's why we've set out these rules to make sure that we can get planning through as quickly as possible, and we can get the infrastructure alongside the housing that we desperately need."
She said she had spoken to many people who want housing and infrastructure "in the right place".
New measures to streamline housebuilding in England are due to be published on Monday, with default approval for homes built within "reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations".
Thousands more homes could be built near railway stations, pubs will be given extra protection from being closed and the planning system will be streamlined under the new National Planning Policy Framework, NPPF.
Despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham's promises of devolution, the planning shake-up will also mean local views will carry less weight if they are inconsistent with national decision-making policies.
The plans to protect pubs will make it harder for developers to turn them into flats or shops.
Rayner denied the proposals would give locals less of a say on development.
"No, what we're saying – and when I was Secretary of State previously, I introduced the consultation around this – is that actually all areas should have mandatory local plans.
"That means that they have to plan in advance for where housing and infrastructure should be in their local area.
"We do need the homes and we do need the infrastructure, but we want to do it in a planned way with local authorities and local people having a say in it.
"But, equally, we've got to say 'Well, where do we think these houses should be?', brownfield first, and I've put in place really strong rules to protect the green belt as well.
"But we're saying very clearly that we cannot carry on in this situation where we don't have the infrastructure and the housing that people desperately need, but we're giving people a say on how and where that is."
Earlier on Monday, a minister said the Iran war was slowing down housebuilding.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said building new homes is "extremely challenging" in large part because of the conflict between Washington and Tehran, as he was pressed on whether he was confident the government would meet its manifesto housebuilding commitment.
The conflict in the Middle East had seen "dampening demand", he told broadcasters.
Pennycook told Times Radio: "There is no doubt that house builders across the country are finding things extremely challenging.
"The downturn that we inherited on coming into office – and that we have pulled every lever to pull ourselves out of – has been made worse by the conflict in Iran and, as a result largely of that conflict, but not entirely, we're seeing dampening demand.
"People are buying less homes, first-time buyer numbers are drying up and materials costs, in particular, for developers are going up – so it is a really difficult time for house builders across the country."
He said the 1.5 million target was a manifesto commitment rather than an ambition.
By Helen Corbett, Stephanie Wareham, David Lynch and Nina Lloyd, Press Association
Press Association: News
source: PA
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