The new Labour government is moving quickly on housing and planning as it makes infrastructure and devolution key priorities during its first days in power.

In her first speech as Chancellor, Rachel Reeves laid out plans to rebuild Britain and “make every part of the country better off”.

Reeves announced a series of measures which she said would “lay the foundations for a dynamic, modern and growing economy” including taking “urgent steps” to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years and the immediate removal of the de facto ban on onshore wind in England.

A key element to the government’s housebuilding plan is to reform the planning system. This week it said it was taking “swift action” to identify and unblock key ‘stalled sites’ to get large housing schemes moving forward, starting with four sites across England to unlock over 14,000 homes: Liverpool Central Docks, Northstowe, Worcester Parkway and Langley Sutton Coldfield.

The Chancellor has also confirmed that the government will support local authorities with 300 additional planning officers across the country.

Further announcements will be made in the coming weeks to accelerate the development of housing and infrastructure, including launching a “landmark” consultation on an updated, growth-focused National Planning Policy Framework to include mandatory housing targets and a requirement to review greenbelt boundaries where necessary to meet them.

These will prioritise Brownfield and what the government calls ‘grey belt’ land for development to meet housing targets where needed, partnered with new ‘golden rules’ that will make sure the development this frees up will also deliver thousands of affordable homes, including more for social rent.

With Angela Rayner confirmed as Secretary of State at the soon-to-be-renamed Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), where she is joined by Matthew Pennycook (Minister for Housing) and Jim McMahon (Minister for Communities), there has also been a focus on devolving more powers to regional mayors.

At a meeting with the mayors at Downing Street this week, the Deputy Prime Minister joined Keir Starmer to discuss a new partnership approach and agree early actions needed to “scale up” devolution and “empower” regions to deliver change for their communities, helping to unlock economic growth and tackle regional inequality.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “My fundamental belief is that those with skin in the game are the ones who know best what they need. That’s why, for many years I have been in constant dialogue with metro mayors across the country about what works for their areas, and I will continue that now as Prime Minister.

“It’s also why I’ve made it a priority to meet with all metro mayors in my first week as Prime Minister. By resetting these crucial relationships and putting more power in the hands of local leaders, I’m determined to make sure they have the support they need to play their part in delivering economic growth in every part of the country.”

Communities Minister Jim McMahon, meanwhile, has confirmed DLUHC would revert to its former name – the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and drop ‘Levelling Up’ from the title.

Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday (9^th July), he said: “It was firmly tippexed out of the department yesterday, so we are now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

“Why that is important for me is levelling up was only ever a slogan, it wasn’t a thing that people felt in their communities,” he added.

In addition to Angela Rayner, Matthew Pennycook and Jim McMahon, the MHCLG ministerial team includes Rushanara Ali, Alex Norris, Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage and Lord Wajid Khan.