New Homes Accelerator Expands

Phase 2 of the New Homes Accelerator has launched, widening support to unblock stalled housing developments and accelerate delivery across England. The programme has already helped speed up progress on more than 125,000 homes by tackling planning delays, infrastructure challenges and regulatory barriers that have held sites back.

The expanded phase will, for the first time, include smaller sites of under 500 homes and introduce a stronger focus on accelerating delivery in London. Seven new sites are joining the programme across the East Midlands, South East and East of England, including locations within the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, adding more than 11,400 homes to the pipeline.

The Accelerator provides targeted support through planning expertise and closer coordination with statutory consultees and other public bodies. To date, this approach has helped progress around 48,500 homes directly, while wider system-wide reforms have unlocked issues affecting a further 76,500 homes, including challenges linked to infrastructure provision, utilities and environmental requirements.

Led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the programme is part of a wider ambition to increase housing supply and boost economic growth. Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the next phase will help bring forward homes more quickly, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves highlighted the role of the Accelerator in turning delayed plans into investment on the ground and supporting jobs across the country.

Read the full announcement here

Interested in the planning challenges behind housing delivery in rural areas? RSN members can explore these issues in more depth at our upcoming Rural Planning member-exclusive seminar, focusing on planning capacity, infrastructure constraints and what national reforms mean for rural places. View all upcoming RSN seminars here.