Size ‘still’ Matters: Dwellings matter more (2025)

Introduction

In the Government’s ‘Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds’, the 10 to 49 Medium sized site definition includes a threshold of 1 hectare, which means any development above 1 hectare would not meet the definition of ‘Medium’ sized, or avail of the streamlined and proportionate planning approaches attached to it.

Under a justification of ‘increasing density’, in practice this definition would exclude too many SME housebuilders, while misunderstanding the continual increase in non-housing land that development sites must set aside.

Most importantly for SMEs, it hands the initiative to landowners, land promoters, investors and contracting builders, who are most likely to squeeze as much development onto a site as possible, rather than plan for local markets in conjunction with placemaking policy and high quality design.

It would also result in fewer training housebuilders and an increase in apartment blocks, often subcontracted projects, and not part of the regional business environment that sees investment localised.

Recommendation

Remove the measured area threshold (currently proposed at 1 hectare) accompanying the ‘Medium’ sized site definition.

Reasoning

In ‘Size ‘still’ Matters: Dwellings matter more’, we highlight why a dwelling only threshold fixes that disparity, thus enabling the most number of SMEs to benefit from the streamlined planning and proportionate planning reforms the Government attaches to them.

And for Local Planning Authorities, it retains the core ambition of reviving our locally training and investing, quality competing, win work on reputation, SME housebuilding industry.

As we see sustainable drainage, BNG, utilities, sewerage, open space, play areas, battery storage, parking, cycle lanes, adaptable housing and more increase in demand, a well designed, locally led site will struggle to exist, with SME’s continuing to suffer a planning system who has little proportionality.

Write to your MP

We need you to tell your local MP that not only does 1 hectare not work for SMEs but we do not need an area threshold because we should support SME housebuilders and local needs.

Click here for the HBA’s ‘Template Lobbying Letter: No area threshold for the ‘Medium’ sized site‘