The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is consulting on two sets of reforms to the planning system.
The first, Changes to the current planning system, includes:
- changes to the standard method for assessing local housing need
- securing of First Homes through developer contributions
- temporarily lifting the small sites threshold
- extending the current Permission in Principle to major development
This is likely to increase the assessed need for housing in Ashford.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-the-current-planning-system
The second, Planning for the future, relates to the wider changes that have been announced by the government. The Government press release states that the proposals include:
- plans to overhaul outdated planning system and reform the way the country builds
- Plans to streamline process, cut red tape and harness technology to deliver homes faster
- Valued green spaces protected for future generations, with more building on brownfield land
- Building beautiful homes with communities at heart of new planning system
- 30% discount through First Homes, with an emphasis on key workers