Land agent Aston Mead has welcomed the recent Government proposals to launch a planning revolution, which promises to deliver 300,000 new homes a year.

The reform of the planning system was announced by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, to ensure it is “fit for the demands of the modern world.” Under the proposals, councils will be told to turbo-charge planning approvals, with Government intervention should they fail, and homeowners in detached houses being able to build upwards by two storeys without any extra consent at all.

Aston Mead land & planning director Richard Watkins says: “We’ve been calling for more relaxed planning regulations for years. In fact, the current system is the biggest barrier to getting more houses built. The new proposals would at long last make the country’s planning system fit for the 21st Century.”

The plans include a policy of putting brownfield sites first, allowing mayors and local councils to bring forward proposals to help get the most out of unused land in urban areas that is often going to waste, while protecting the green belt. A register of brownfield sites suitable for housing is due to be launched, which will map out unused land, and make sure that councils get the support they need to put it to best use. All local planning authorities will also be required to have up-to-date local plans in place by December 2023.

Watkins adds: “There is also a call for proposals for building above railway stations and an encouragement for councils to ensure that the redevelopment of high streets is housing-led – both of which are reforms we have explicitly suggested in recent months. The truth is that more planning freedoms are essential to get the country building again. The whole process needs to be speeded up and simplified, as well as being made more innovative and less bureaucratic, with more local people involved in the decisions which are being made.”