Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to accelerate planning decisions and increase housing supply, particularly in areas with acute demand.

The government has taken a range of steps to accelerate planning decisions and increase housing supply.

In December 2024, we published a revised pro-growth National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). We are currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF to provide for clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making.

Our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act will speed up and streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure.

It includes provisions that will facilitate the reform of planning committees so that they operate as effectively as possible and are focused on those applications which require member input and not revisiting the same decisions.

Its provisions also include powers that allow the Secretary of State to delegate planning fee-setting to local planning authorities, enabling them to recover costs and reinvest to provide a more efficient and responsive planning service, including in respect of making timelier decisions.

At the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026. This includes £8 million of targeted support which is being provided for local planning authorities handling the highest volumes of major residential schemes.

At the Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced a further £48 million of investment over three years to support local planning authorities to attract, retain and develop skilled planners over a sustained period. Of this, £28.8 million has been allocated to MHCLG’s Planning Capacity and Capability Programme.