Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on agreeing new targets for new housing numbers for each local authority area; and what is the timetable for introducing these targets.

We committed to reviewing the current formula for local housing need at this year’s budget. As under the current system, local housing need will only be the starting point in the process of planning for new homes. Local authorities will still need to consider the constraints they face locally to assess how many homes can be delivered in their areas.

The consultation on changes to the current planning system set out the elements we want to balance when determining local housing need. They include meeting our target of building 300,000 homes, tackling affordability challenges in the places people most want to live, regenerating brownfield sites and renewing and levelling up our towns and cities.

The proposals were out for consultation until 1 October 2020. Following consideration of the consultation responses received, the Government will publish a response in due course. The response will set out any decisions and any associated proposed implementation.