Housing and Planning Bill receives Royal Assent

Following weeks of resistance in the House of Lords, the new Housing and Planning Bill has received Royal Assent.

The Housing and Planning Act, as it is now called, includes measures that the government claims will help more people to own their own home. This includes the extension of the Right to Buy scheme, which will offer discounts to housing association tenants, as well as placing a duty on local planning authorities to actively promote the development of Starter Homes and embed them in the planning system.

Other measures included in the Act are designed to increase the volume and speed of new housing across the country, including plans to unlock brownfield sites, support self-built homes, ensure every area has a local plan and simplify neighbourhood planning.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said: “Our landmark Housing and Planning Act will help anyone who aspires to own their own home achieve their dream.

“It will increase housing supply alongside home ownership building on the biggest affordable house building program since the 1970s.

“The act will contribute to transforming generation rent into generation buy, helping us towards achieving our ambition of delivering 1 million new homes.”