Councils will be able to buy land for development through the use of compulsory purchase orders without paying inflated “hope value” costs.  

“Hope value” estimates the cost land could be worth if it was developed on in the future, meaning councils are forced to pay potentially thousands more to buy land for housing or developments and get stuck in lengthy disputes about costs.

This is under the condition development is in the public interest and is facilitating affordable or social housing, health or educational uses.  

Levelling up minister, Jacob Young, said: “Our changes will act as a catalyst for investment in our towns and cities and drive much needed regeneration in communities across the country.

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“We know we need to build more homes and alongside our long-term plan for housing, these changes will help us do that, unlocking more sites for affordable and social housing, as well as supporting jobs and growing the economy.”

Kate Henderson, CEO at the National Housing Federation, added: “Enabling local councils to buy cheaper land through compulsory purchase orders without paying hope value will allow them to build more of the desperately needed affordable homes the country needs, in the right places for the people who need it most.

“To solve the housing crisis and unlock the land needed for these homes, these changes must sit alongside wider reforms to planning policy which should form part of a nationally coordinated fully funded long-term plan for housing.”