Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled mandatory housing targets and lifted the ban on onshore wind projects to jumpstart “Britain building again.” As the UK’s first female chancellor, she announced that Labour will establish a new task force aimed at accelerating stalled housing developments nationwide.
Reeves committed her government to constructing 1.5 million homes over the next five years, in line with Labour’s election manifesto.
“We are steadfast in our manifesto promises,” she affirmed during her inaugural speech as chancellor, following Labour’s election victory last Thursday.
“With the strong mandate we’ve received, we are determined to deliver.”
Ms. Reeves announced that the government will:
- Reinstate mandatory housebuilding targets.
- Construct 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliamentary term, including affordable and council homes.
- Lift the ban on onshore wind farms.
- Establish a new task force to expedite stalled housing projects.
- Provide 300 additional planning officers to support local authorities across the country.
- Review previously rejected planning applications that could benefit the economy.
- Prioritize brownfield and greybelt land for development to meet housing targets when necessary.
- Reform the planning system to “deliver the infrastructure that our country needs.”
- Outline new policy intentions for critical infrastructure in the coming months.
Ms. Reeves mentioned that the government has already commenced work on its housing commitments by approving the construction of 14,000 new homes across Liverpool Central Docks, Worcester, Northstowe, and Langley Sutton Coldfield.
She also stated that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is reconsidering planning appeals for data centers in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. Additionally, unresolved infrastructure projects will be prioritized.
Before the election, the chancellor had warned that the next government would face “the worst set of circumstances since the Second World War,” and today she stated, “What I have seen over the past 72 hours has only confirmed that.”
When asked by Sky’s Ed Conway about the timeline for economic growth, Ms. Reeves responded, “We are now getting on with delivering [growth]. These are our first steps to bring back economic growth. I mean business and we are getting on with that work to unlock that growth.”