Full steam ahead to fast-track more homes near stations

17 Aug 2026 11:45 AM

Thousands of quality homes to be built closer to stations, cutting commute times and helping families live closer to work, school and transport.

Thousands of new homes will be built around England’s train, tram and underground stations under new planning rules introduced today (Monday 17 August), helping families to live closer to work, schools and transport. 

The common-sense changes will fast-track quality homes in well-connected areas, making better use of underdeveloped land around stations while creating jobs, unlocking investment, driving growth and connecting communities. This builds on the priorities set out by the government to ensure that planning decisions give proper consideration to the proximity of public transport links. 

Under the government’s new National Planning Policy Framework, there will be a default ‘yes’ for homes within reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations, alongside new minimum expectations for how much housing should be built in these areas. It will also prevent excessive gold-plating where there are clear national standards already in place. 

It comes as the government passes the quarter-way mark towards its stretching target of 1.5 million homes and goes further to get developments that meet clear standards moving quickly from plans on paper to spades in the ground.  

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said:   

“A safe, secure home is the foundation of opportunity, but too many people are being priced out of the communities where they want to live and work. 

“By unlocking thousands of homes around well-connected transport hubs, we’re helping people live closer to work, school and the services they rely on, while backing local businesses and driving growth in our communities. 

“That’s how we’ll tackle the housing crisis and raise living standards for people in every corner of the country.” 

Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey MP said: 

“Making it easier for people to buy their own home is about more than a house. It is about security and families feeling they have a place they can truly call their own. 

“We want to drive growth in every postcode and help more working people into home ownership. A secure home is the heart of all our lives, helping people put down roots, plan for the future and build a good life for themselves and their families. This is about creating opportunity, prosperity and stronger communities across the country.” 

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:  

“Earlier this year, we published Better Connected: A Strategy for Integrated Transport. The steps announced today act on a key commitment we made as part of that Strategy, to support densification of development around well-connected stations to create vibrant, sustainable and well-connected homes and places. 

“The changes being announced today turn long-held ambitions into reality for our communities. Densification, combined with high-quality walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, will support healthier lifestyles, improve access to jobs and services, and protect important public transport services.” 

Pubs and music venues are the lifeblood of communities, local jobs and high streets - and the changes we are making will protect them from being lost without good reason.  

The changes will also make it easier for councils to approve developments that create jobs, unlock investment, and deliver the shops, leisure facilities, clean energy and food production local areas need.  

They build on measures announced last week to back farmers and rural businesses, including making it easier to deliver reservoirs, greenhouses, polytunnels and farm shops.  

The government is also cutting unnecessary bureaucracy by reducing blanket consultation requirements that have slowed planning decisions.   

Councils will no longer need sign-off from public bodies where specialist advice is not needed, while expert input will be focused on the cases where it adds most value. Sport England will continue to advise on significant cases, and the Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust will still be notified of relevant applications so they can play an important role in the planning process.  

Together, these reforms are part of the government’s wider overhaul of the planning system - tackling the housing crisis, unlocking investment and driving good growth in every postcode.  

Notes to Editors:   

• On Monday 17th August government’s policy statement on the final NPPF can be read in full here.  
• The NPPF has been restructured to provide clearer national policies for both plan-making and decision-making, reducing reliance on subjective judgement and limiting duplication between local and national policy. It means that conflicting local policies will carry less weight where they are inconsistent with national decision-making policies. The main changes are:   
• Stronger in-principle support for development, meaning a more explicit presumption in favour of development in sustainable locations, including development within settlements
• Housing delivery and densification aimed at increasing housing supply though “default yes” support around well-connected stations and minimum density expectations around stations
• Communities, design and accessibility changes including a national minimum number (40%) of accessible homes on major developments and stronger protections for community facilities
• Stronger support for growth and infrastructure including support for AI Growth Zones and data centres
• Streamlining decision-making by aiming to make planning decisions faster and more proportionate though things like reducing information requirements for smaller schemes and creating a new category of “medium” development
• The priorities set out by the Government in Better Connected: A Strategy for Integrated Transport, ensuring that planning decisions give proper consideration to the proximity of public transport links. This can be found here.
• The government has also published the 2024 and 2025 Housing Delivery Test (HDT) results. The HDT is a measurement of housing delivery in the area of relevant plan-making authorities. Further information on the HDT is available on Housing Delivery Test – GOV.UK   
• The government is streamlining the consultation requirements of several statutory consultees so that specialist advice is focused on the planning applications where it adds most value, helping councils make decisions more efficiently, while maintaining important safeguards. The government’s response to the consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system can be found here. on Monday 17th August.