Rayner gives councils more power to seize land from housebuilders
Angela Rayner will give councils powers to seize land from housebuilders who fail to complete developments on time.
For the first time, developers will have to commit to delivery timeframes before they get planning permission. They will also have to submit annual reports to councils showing their progress.
Housebuilders who secure planning permissions 'simply to trade land speculatively' could face penalties worth thousands per unbuilt home, the Government said.
The Government hopes the proposals will see promised new homes delivered faster.
Ms Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, said: 'This Government has taken radical steps to overhaul the planning system to get Britain building again after years of inaction.
'In the name of delivering security for working people, we are backing the builders not the blockers. Now it's time for developers to roll up their sleeves and play their part.
'We're going even further to get the homes we need. No more sites with planning permission gathering dust for decades while a generation struggle to get on the housing ladder.'
Ms Rayner unveiled the reforms following a week in which speculation ran rampant that she is positioning herself for a run at the Labour leadership.
A leaked memo from Ms Rayner to the Chancellor, in which she proposed a series of tax rises, was seen as a challenge by the Left to Sir Keir Starmer.
Reports also emerged that Ms Rayner has been involved in heated discussions with No 10 about planned cuts to her budget.
Rumours had circulated around Westminster that Sir Kier was preparing to strip her of her housing brief and effectively demote her in a Cabinet reshuffle.
Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow housing secretary, said: 'We need more houses for people in Britain and we support measures to ensure developers speed up housebuilding.
'But they are adding so many burdens on builders, their targets already seem like a distant memory. And as Rayner has admitted live on air, many of these houses will end up going to migrants.'
The senior Conservative added: 'With Labour's open-door border policy, this problem is only going to get worse, not better. And many hard-working Brits will be shut out of the housing market forever.
'In the same week that Angela Rayner has been caught red-handed plotting to raise everyone's taxes, it's clear she doesn't have the interests of working people at heart.'
On Sunday, the Government is publishing a Planning Reform Working Paper setting out the proposals.
Large housing sites can take more than 10 years to build, but those with more affordable homes can be built twice as fast, the Government said.
'Developers drag their heels'
Housing charity Shelter welcomed the plans. Alicia Walker, its assistant director of advocacy and activism, said: 'It's good to see the Government getting tougher on private developers. With 1.3 million households waiting for a social home and homelessness continuing to climb, we urgently need new homes built at speed.
'Developers drag their heels when building new homes to keep prices high and make bigger profits – often dodging their responsibility to build social housing altogether.
'Meanwhile, thousands of families who are bearing the brunt of the housing emergency, homeless in temporary accommodation or crushed by skyrocketing rents, cannot afford to wait.
'Getting private developers to build new homes faster is crucial, but the only way to end the housing emergency for good is to get councils and housing associations building social housing as well.
'To do this, the Government must invest in building 90,000 social rent homes a year for 10 years in the upcoming Spending Review.'
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