He added: “The NPPF review reintroduces much-needed mandatory housing targets, permits more land allocation through a new definition of grey belt, and establishes golden rules for greenbelt usage, which at first glance may see more significant sites delivered due to the associated costs.

“These changes are vital in stepping up the challenge of building 300,000 homes a year and ensuring we one day have a parliamentary term where 1.5 million homes can be built. We particularly welcome the ‘stick’ of central government intervention if councils avoid making or updating local plans.”

The Government also announced that:

• Brownfield land will be viewed as the first port of call for delivery, with ‘Brownfield Passports’ to be further consulted on
• Councils will get £100 million to update and review their local plans
• Developers must 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 when delivering on the Greenbelt

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of policy and market insight at the NFB and House Builders Association (HBA), said: “It is encouraging to see the Government stand by their density ambitions, mandatory housing targets, five-year land supplies, and the reintroduction of council boundary cooperation on housing numbers.

“Delaying spatial planning until a strategic framework is in place is the right approach, and it’s promising to see that Brownfield Passports are about making the most of public land rather than merely using it to deliver residential development. And finally, taking more time to think about benchmarking land values is a great relief.”