Weekly planning news
Planning news - 08 October 2026
Building Safety Levy comes into force
The Building Safety Levy has come into force in England, as part of wider measures to address building safety defects and ensure funding is available to help make buildings safer.
The levy applies from 1 October 2026 to certain new residential developments and purpose-built student accommodation, as well as projects that create new homes through a change of use.
A number of measures have been introduced alongside the levy to support housing delivery. Developments of fewer than 10 new dwellings are exempt, helping to protect smaller developments and small and medium-sized housebuilders. Affordable housing is also excluded from the levy, while developments on previously developed land are subject to a 50% discounted levy rate.
For applicants, the new requirements mean information must be provided as part of relevant building control applications so that local authorities can determine whether the levy applies and whether an exemption is available.
Planning Portal has introduced a new 'Building Safety Levy' section within its 'Full Plans' online application type to help applicants provide the information local authorities need. The service was developed with MHCLG and local authorities, with feedback from those involved helping to shape the approach.
Several built environment professionals have commented on the levy1 and its potential impact on housing delivery. Liam Gordon, head of residential at Hollis, said the levy addresses an important funding gap, while James Morris, construction litigation partner at Mayer Brown, described it as understandable in principle given its purpose of contributing towards making unsafe buildings safer.
PBC Today also reported concerns2 from developers and housebuilding organisations about the additional cost of development and its potential impact on the viability of some schemes.
The levy is the latest measure in wider building safety reforms introduced following the Grenfell Tower fire.
Housing minister highlights strength of housing pipeline
Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook has highlighted signs of continued strength in the housing pipeline, pointing to the significant increase in the number of housing units included in applications in the year to June 2026.
The figures are consistent with trends identified in Planning Portal’s Q2 Index report4, which recorded 412,130 homes submitted for planning permission across England in the year to June 2026. This was around 30% higher than the equivalent figure for the previous year.
The latest Government figures5 show that 246,000 housing units were included in outline residential applications specifically in the year to June 2026, up 41% from the previous year. Pennycook pointed to the increase as evidence that larger schemes are continuing to come forward.
Planning Portal's Index report also recorded 189,520 housing units submitted during the first half of 2026, the strongest first half of any year since the beginning of the decade. The average number of proposed homes per application also reached almost 13 in Q2, indicating that larger schemes are becoming more common.
Pennycook pointed to a 298% increase in housing starts in London in the year to June 2026, while highlighting the Government’s recent measures to support housing delivery.
These include changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), social and affordable housing grant funding and the ‘Your First Home’ programme, which is intended to support first-time buyers purchasing new-build homes.
The comments come alongside wider planning figures showing that applications received, decisions made and permissions granted by English local planning authorities fell in the year to June 2026.
Pennycook said he was “pretty confident” that planning statistics would improve “in fairly short order” - building on the successes we've already seen in the increased number of housing units applied for. He also acknowledged that the Government’s target of delivering 1.5 million homes during this Parliament remains ambitious.
Natural England changes approach to planning advice
Natural England has introduced a new approach to planning advice, allowing it to concentrate its resources on proposals where its input is likely to have the greatest environmental impact.
The changes came into effect on 1 October and are intended to make the planning process more efficient by allowing local planning authorities to use existing guidance when considering more routine cases, while Natural England focuses on proposals requiring more detailed consideration.
The organisation said the new approach will allow it to become more involved in complex and strategic schemes at an earlier stage, helping environmental issues to be identified and addressed before they cause delays later in the planning process.
Neil Hornby, Chief Executive of Natural England, said the changes would help the organisation “focus our expertise where it can have the greatest impact for nature”, while supporting efficient decision-making across the planning system.
The changes do not affect Natural England’s statutory responsibilities for protecting habitats, species and designated sites. Its planning advice will instead be targeted towards proposals presenting the greatest risks or opportunities for nature.
The new approach forms part of wider reforms to the planning system, including changes to the statutory consultee system. Natural England will continue to work with local planning authorities, developers and other partners during the transition as the changes are introduced.
Further details on the changes are available from Natural England6.
- https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/building-safety-levy-is-understandable-but-risks-constraining-development-pipelines-facing-significant-viability-pressure-98935
- https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/building-control-news/building-safety-levy-now-effect-read-reactions-here/166221/
- https://blog.planningportal.co.uk/2026/09/17/building-safety-levy-new-requirements-for-full-plan-applications-from-1-october-2026/
- https://www.terraquest.co.uk/news-and-insights/q2-planning-application-index-2026
- https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/planning-applications-in-england-april-to-june-2026
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-operational-statement
