New housing targets means 200 new Colchester homes a year

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has unveiled an overhaul of England’s planning rules to help deliver Labour's promise of 1.5m new homes by 2029.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government figures show the proposed target for Colchester has been set at 1,290 new homes annually – up from the current target of 1,043 homes a year.

Across England, councils will now have to plan for around 370,000 homes annually, instead of the previous 305,000.

Local housing targets will become mandatory again meaning the government can set and enforce them.

Demand - Councils across England such as Colchester were already increasing housing to stock to keep up with housing demand and the last government's pledge at the time to build over 300,000 new homes a year by the mid 2020s (Image: Newsquest)

Redcar and Cleveland will see the largest 1,338 per cent proportional increase – from 45 homes to 645 homes.

This compares to Colchester which has a 124 per cent proportional increase from – 1,043 to 1,290 homes.

Deficit - Council leader David King said there was an infrastructure deficit in Colchester that only the government could reduce (Image: Submitted)

Council leader David King said warned infrastructure in the city would need to keep pace with new homes.

He said: "The need for new homes is clear, that we have a desperate shortage of affordable homes, and rising numbers of homeless people. 

"But Colchester can only cope with more demand if the government play their part". 

He added: "We have an infrastructure deficit already.

"Only central government can fill the gap. To fund the better roads and facilities needed to make developments on the shelf viable, let alone increase the rate of new housing supply.  

Housing - Housing Secretary Angela Rayner (Image: PA)

Angela Rayner defended the move.

Ms Rayner said: “Our decisive reforms to the planning system correct the errors of the past and set us on our way to tackling the housing crisis, delivering 1.5 million homes for those who really need them."

As part of the plans the method used by local authorities to calculate how much land they must allocate for new housing, which relied on data from 2014, will be updated.

The national reforms included a targeted release of so-called grey belt land which includes disused petrol stations and car parks.

Any green belt land released for housing will be subject to "golden rules" to ensure the development delivers 50 per cent affordable homes with a focus on social rent as well as infrastructure such as schools and GPs.