Weekly planning news

Andy Burnham unveils plans for major council housebuilding programme 

Andy Burnham has announced plans¹ for what he described as the “biggest council housebuilding programme since the postwar period”, as part of a wider vision focused on devolution, infrastructure and regional growth. 

The announcement was made at People’s History Museum in Manchester on Monday, 29^th June, following Keir Starmer’s recent decision² to stand down as prime minister once a successor is in place. 

As part of the proposals, Burnham also introduced the concept of “No 10 North”, which would oversee the housebuilding programme. The proposed Manchester base is intended to support a wider shift of power and resources away from Whitehall, including more support for strategic and local authorities. 

Burnham linked the council housebuilding plans to the loss of almost 1.5 million council homes since the 1980s and a similar number of people now on social housing waiting lists. 

His proposals also included using vacant public land to reduce costs, bringing higher-density residential development to towns and giving councils a stronger role in housing and regeneration. 

The wider policy proposals also included a focus on strengthening council resources, public procurement and place-based investment. 

The clear focus on council housebuilding has since prompted discussion around how the proposals could be delivered in practice 

According to The Guardian³, housing experts have highlighted delivery considerations including funding, local authority capacity, construction cost pressures and the role of private developers. 

Industry reaction⁴ has also focused on the practical conditions needed to deliver the pledge, including who would build the homes, how the programme would be funded and what would enable a faster rate of delivery. 

The Guardian⁵ also pointed to Collyhurst Village, part of Manchester’s 15,000-home Victoria North regeneration area, as an example of the scale and complexity involved in delivering council-led regeneration.

Mandatory pre-application consultations for infrastructure to be scrapped

The government has confirmed reforms to the planning process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) as part of changes being delivered through the Planning and Infrastructure Act.  

According to a recent press release⁶ published on gov.uk, the reforms will remove mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for NSIPs from 24 July. 

The changes could reportedly reduce the planning process for these projects by up to 12 months and potentially save developers £1 billion during this Parliament. 

Under the new approach, developers will receive earlier technical support and advice from the Planning Inspectorate before applications are submitted. Examinations will also focus on the key issues, to provide greater certainty for major infrastructure projects. 

The reforms are expected to support the delivery of infrastructure including wind and solar farms, nuclear plants, reservoirs and transport links. 

Since taking the office, the government noted that 41 decisions have been made on major infrastructure projects, including Mona Offshore Wind Farm, Gate Burton Energy Park and the Lower Thames Crossing. These projects could support more than 82,000 jobs and generate more clean energy for homes and businesses. 

The government has also said it remains on track to decide at least 150 major infrastructure projects during this Parliament, compared with 59 Development Consent Order decisions in the previous Parliament. 

The wider reforms also include support for local authorities, which can now set their own fees to recover costs for NSIP-related work. 

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “This government is determined to make the UK a world leader in building infrastructure. 

“Our reforms will get work started quicker on wind farms, solar panels and transport links to connect our communities and grow our economy.” Visit the government’s website for more information.⁷ 

Delivering a large-scale infrastructure project? TerraQuest has over 50 years’ experience providing expert land referencing services to support DCO and CPO processes. Find out how we can help.⁸ 

Rural affordable homes at risk under proposed section 106 changes  

The National Housing Federation (NHF)⁹ has warned that proposed changes to section 106 agreements could affect the delivery of affordable homes in rural England, according to The Guardian¹⁰. 

Changes currently being considered under the National Planning Policy Framework could remove the existing requirement for medium-sized development sites of 10 to 49 homes to deliver affordable housing on site. 

Section 106 agreements are used to secure affordable housing and other contributions from developers as part of the planning process. Under the proposals, developers could be allowed to make payments to local authorities instead of including affordable homes within their schemes, with the money earmarked for affordable housing elsewhere. 

The analysis¹¹ found that more than half of affordable homes in the most rural parts of England are built on developments of this size. The National Housing Federation said ending the requirement could lead to 32,000 fewer affordable homes being delivered over the next 10 years. Section 106 agreements accounted for 36% of all affordable homes delivered in England in 2024-25. 

The proposals are being considered as ministers look at ways to support housebuilding, with developers facing higher finance and material costs. The Guardian¹² has reported that ministers are expected to make a final decision within weeks. 

You can read more on the Guardian news¹³ 

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cgrk4rpxnx7t
2. https://blog.planningportal.co.uk/2026/06/25/planning-news-25-june-2026/
3. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/03/council-houses-building-burnham-vision
4. https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/planning-construction-news/industry-reacts-andy-burnhams-housing-plans/163233/
5. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/03/council-houses-building-burnham-vision
6. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fastest-infrastructure-building-in-a-generation-as-planning-rules-overhauled?
7. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fastest-infrastructure-building-in-a-generation-as-planning-rules-overhauled?
8. https://www.terraquest.co.uk/products-services/land-referencing
9. https://www.housing.org.uk/resources/maximising-the-impact-of-section-106/
10. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/06/half-affordable-new-homes-rural-england-risk-planning-rules-relaxed-analysis
11. https://www.housing.org.uk/news-and-blogs/news/half-of-future-rural-affordable-homes-under-threat/
12. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/06/half-affordable-new-homes-rural-england-risk-planning-rules-relaxed-analysis
13. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/06/half-affordable-new-homes-rural-england-risk-planning-rules-relaxed-analysis