The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced a £208m investment to fund a range of projects across towns and cities in the north of England to regenerate the area, including building more housing. Northern leaders are also receiving powers to support the delivery of the promise in the Levelling Up White Paper to level the playing field by spreading opportunities.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced that Lord Charles Banner KC will lead the government review in the planning and delivery of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). The DLUHC has noted that this builds on wider government reform aiming to streamline the process for NSIPs. Banner will investigate whether NSIPs are being unduly delayed by ‘inappropriate legal challenges’ and how these issues may be effectively resolved. Housing Minister, Lee Rowley, has emphasised the importance of reducing unnecessary planning delays and described the NSIP review as a ‘crucial piece of work.’

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has published a press release announcing changes to planning rules which will help prevent locals from being pushed out of their communities by high numbers of short-term lets. Under the reforms, short-term lets will be subject to the planning process with planning permission being required for future short-term lets, providing local authorities with more control. A new mandatory national register will also provide information to local authorities, helping them to understand the number of short-term lets in their area, to discover the impact on their communities and to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations. Both the planning changes and the register are focussed on short-term lets and will not affect hotels, hostels or B&Bs. More details will be set out in the government’s response to the consultations and the changes are expected to be introduced from this summer.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is reviewing the qualifying criteria for obtaining the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) where a leasehold property is owned by two or more individuals. DLUHC confirms that the principle behind the BSA 2022 is to protect leaseholders living in their own homes in unsafe buildings and so there had to be a threshold setting the right balance between those purchasing properties primarily to live in and those who have made commercial or investment decisions, whether they are freeholders or leaseholders. However, DLUHC believes there is a particular issue with how this impacts leasehold properties that are jointly owned. The call for evidence seeks to understand the scale of the issue and to consider whether any changes could be proposed by the government. DLUHC is seeking evidence from both leaseholders and landlords on who may be affected if this policy is changed. The closing date for this call to evidence has been extended to 11:59pm on Sunday 7 April.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has published a consultation on accelerating the planning system. The consultation closes on 1 May 2024.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced the extension of the Home Building Fund for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) beyond March 2025. The extension will provide up to £700m in additional loans to support SME housebuilders, aiming to deliver approximately 12,000 new homes. The initiative forms part of the government's Plan for Change, which targets the construction of 1.5 million homes over five years. The Fund, managed by Homes England, will continue to offer direct loans and lending partnerships to smaller housebuilders struggling to access traditional finance. This extension aligns with the government's broader strategy to overhaul planning laws through a new National Planning Policy Framework, which includes reinstating mandatory housing targets for councils across England.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has launched an eight week consultation on proposed reforms to the Right to Buy scheme. Key measures under consideration include extending the minimum tenancy period for eligibility, exempting newly built social homes from the scheme and introducing targets for councils to replace sold stock. The government has already reduced maximum Right to Buy discounts to £16,000 - £38,000 and increased the cost floor protection period to 30 years. Councils can now retain all receipts from sales and the scheme will not be extended to housing associations. These reforms aim to create a more sustainable Right to Buy programme while protecting and increasing social housing stock amidst unprecedented housing pressures.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has launched a consultation seeking views on proposals to amend social housing allocation rules. The consultation seeks views on the introduction of a UK connection test, local connection test, income test, false statement test and tests for anti-social behaviour and terrorism offences. The DLUHC is also seeking views on the introduction of a new ground for eviction for those who are convicted of terrorism offences and implementation of a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy for anti-social behaviour. The consultation closes on 26 March 2024.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has launched a consultation seeking views on the operational details of street vote development orders. The orders are a new planning permission avenue introduced under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA 2023), and the results of this consultation will inform the content of regulations using new powers in LURA 2023. Street vote development orders aim to encourage residents to propose and vote on local development. The consultation covers various topics, including proposal submission criteria, geographical application, development requirements, managing local impacts and environmental duties.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has launched a consultation on ‘Awaab’s Law,’ introduced through the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023, seeking views on the timescales for repairs in the social rented sector. The consultation seeks to establish timeframes for repairs in the social rented sector to ensure that landlords promptly address health hazards. These timeframes will become legally binding in tenancy agreements, empowering tenants to enforce a standard of living. The consultation ends on 5 March 2024.

In a press release dated 13 February 2024, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced several measures to reform the planning system with the aim of boosting housebuilding particularly on brownfield land while protecting the green belt.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has opened a consultation seeking views on draft regulations determining how an oversight authority will oversee a locally-led urban development corporation. DLUHC is also asking for comments on updating the New Towns Act 1981 (Local Authority Oversight) Regulations 2018. The consultation, which relates to the transfer of powers from central to local government for the purpose of monitoring a locally-led development corporation, will close on 5 June 2024.