In a bold move to accelerate housebuilding, the Labour government is launching a fresh offensive against so-called 'Nimbys' by drastically limiting opportunities to object to new developments. Housing Secretary Steve Reed is set to announce a major overhaul of the planning system, designed to prevent campaigners from repeatedly blocking housing projects.
The Single Objection Rule
The centrepiece of the reform is a change to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the rulebook for planning in England. The update will introduce a new limit, allowing local campaigners just one formal chance to object to a new development. This measure directly targets what ministers describe as the 'weaponisation' of planning laws to stop homes from being built.
Mr Reed highlighted the case of the Shell Centre development on London's South Bank, where a single objector held up the scheme for three years through a stream of legal challenges. "We'll change the rules so that people can still object, but they can't go back again and again if they don't get the outcome that they wanted," he stated. "You can basically weaponise the law to stop homes being built, but by doing that you're forcing more people to sleep rough."
Broader Planning Overhaul and Green Belt Changes
The updated NPPF is also expected to include measures to allow more developments to be approved automatically, streamlining the process further. This push forms a critical part of Labour's pledge to build 1.5 million new homes across England within five years, though doubts persist about the government's ability to meet this ambitious target.
These latest changes follow earlier reforms introduced after last year's general election, where ministers designated lower quality green belt land as 'grey belt' to be released for construction. The government has denied quietly ripping up long-standing green belt protections, but a recent letter from Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook revealed the revocation of a decade-old protocol.
In October, Mr Pennycook wrote to Paul Morrison, chief executive of the Planning Inspectorate, confirming he was junking a 2014 instruction from then-minister Nick Boles. That protocol had emphasised that local authorities "are in charge of planning for their own areas." As part of efforts to overhaul the 'cumbersome' system, Mr Pennycook is boosting the role of planning inspectors in reviewing the use of green belt land.
Government's Stance on the Housing 'Catastrophe'
A source at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) underscored the government's determination, saying: "The Housing Secretary is determined to throw out every outdated rule and break through the barriers to fix Britain's housing catastrophe."
The combined reforms signal a significant centralisation of planning authority and a clear intent to prioritise housing delivery over local opposition. The success of this strategy will be closely watched, as it balances the urgent need for new homes against traditional local planning controls.
