New Chancellor sets out plan to ‘rebuild Britain’

In her first speech as Chancellor Rachel Reeves laid out plans to “rebuild Britain and make every part of our country better off”.

Outlining steps to “fix the foundations of our economy” Reeves said a new task force will be created to accelerate stalled housing sites, starting with Liverpool Central Docks, Worcester Parkway, Northstowe and Langley Sutton Coldfield, representing more than 14,000 homes.

A group comprising Bellway Homes, Hallam Land Management, St. Modwen Homes, Summix and Homes England and Wain Estates, are working to develop a new settlement around Worcester Parkway Station with 11,000 homes.

Construction isn’t expected to start up the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) is adopted, and will then kickstart the development, phased over thirty years.

Proposals include the first 5,000 homes built by 2041, a town centre, employment areas, primary and secondary schools, healthcare facilities, highway infrastructure and sustainable travel networks of cycleways and footpaths.

Conservative MP for Droitwich and Eveshame, Nigel Huddlestone, took to Twitter/X following Reeve’s announcement and said: “During the election campaign I expressed grave concerns about Labour’s instincts to make top-down decisions that impact the countryside from offices in Whitehall. The local voice should not be ignored.

“While we all know we need more housing, it has to be in the right place, on the right scale and with appropriate supporting infrastructure.

“Let’s also be clear we are talking about building on fields, not previously developed land or brownfield sites here, too.

Up to 5,500 homes form part of plans for Langley Sutton Coldfield, as well as six nurseries, three primary schools, a secondary school, a health centre, a sports hub and a community centre.

Other measures outlined by Reeves include:

• A reform of the National Planning Policy Framework.
• An end to the ban on new onshore wind in England, bringing onshore wind back into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime.
• Prioritise energy projects already in the system to ensure they make swift progress and build on the spatial plan for Energy by expanding this to other infrastructure sectors.
• Support local authorities with 300 additional planning officers across the country.
• Putting growth at the centre of the planning system, resulting in changes not only to the system itself but to the way that ministers use powers for direct intervention.
• A reform of the planning system.
• Secretaries of State for Transport and Energy Security and Net Zero will be asked to prioritise decisions on infrastructure projects that have been sitting unresolved.
• New policy intentions for critical infrastructure, ahead of updating relevant National Policy Statements within the year.

Reeves said that she knows there will be opposition to the measures, but that trade-offs always exist.

She said: “Any development may have environmental consequences, place pressure on services, and rouse voices of local opposition.

“But we will not succumb to a status quo which responds to the existence of trade-offs by always saying no, and relegates the national interest below other priorities”.