Ministers will consult on ‘small sites’ plans

Ministers are set to consult on planning reforms that would free up pockets of urban brownfield land across England. The government has said it will look at proposals to support the development of smaller sites for new housing after Andrew Lewer, a Conservative backbench MP, put forward an amendment to the delayed Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that is going through parliament. The amendment has now been pulled after ministers said they would look at the proposals. The government said: “We want to see the right homes built in the right places – that is why we will consult on what more we can do to support development on small sites, particularly in respect to affordable housing.” Almost 30 developers, including the UK’s biggest housebuilder Barratt Developments and smaller groups such as London-focused affordable housing company Pocket Living, have thrown their weight behind the “small sites” proposal. The FT (£)