Councils must build a combined total of 370,000 homes a year following five ‘golden rules’, under new planning rules published by the government.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says its updated National Planning Policy Framework is “turbocharging growth with new, mandatory targets for councils to ramp up housebuilding across the country.

“The planning overhaul is set to tackle the chronic housing crisis once and for all and will mean hard graft at work will be rewarded with security at home.”

The move is part of the government’s election manifesto pledge to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years.

The housing department says under the new framework:

• Councils will be set “new immediate mandatory housing targets for councils to ramp up housebuilding”
• Regions with the “highest unaffordability for housing and the greatest potential for growth will see housebuilding targets increase”
• Councils must adopt a brownfield first approach, but must “review their greenbelt boundaries to meet targets, identifying and prioritising lower quality ‘grey belt’ land”
• Councils and developers must give “greater consideration to social rent when building new homes and local leaders have greater powers to build genuinely affordable homes”

The housing department adds that greenbelt development must meet new ‘golden rules’, “which require developers to provide the necessary infrastructure for local communities, such as nurseries, GP surgeries and transport, as well as a premium level of social and affordable housing”.

Its golden rules are:

• Brownfield first
• Grey belt second
• Affordable homes
• Boost public services and infrastructure
• Improve genuine green spaces

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says: “Reform is desperately needed if we are to build 1.5 million homes.

“Under the current planning framework just under one-third of local authorities have adopted a local plan within the last five years and the number of homes granted planning permission had also been allowed to fall to its lowest level in a decade.”

The government has also consulted on increasing planning fees for householder applications and other applications, alongside allowing local authorities to set their own fees.

Landmark Information Group chief executive Simon Brown says: “The publication of the updated National Planning Policy Framework is a significant moment to tackle long-standing challenges in housing and infrastructure to deliver the government’s ambitious 1.5m home target.

“However, systemic barriers—such as fragmented processes, overburdened professionals, and limited information-sharing—still impede progress.

“By leveraging data more effectively, we can identify demand hotspots, streamline development, and ensure homes are built in the right locations, supported by the necessary infrastructure to foster thriving communities.”