Walsall Borough Housing Strategy 2026 - National context
National policy frameworks have a profound impact on Walsall’s housing strategy and delivery. The Labour Government’s current priorities (2024–2025) place housing at the core of the social justice and economic renewal agenda, with a focus on expanding affordable supply, tackling homelessness, and promoting decarbonisation and energy efficiency as part of the net zero transition (HM Government, 2024). The Renters’ Rights Act (2025) is set to overhaul the private rented sector, abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions, introducing open-ended tenancies and rent controls, and requiring adherence to the Decent Homes Standard across all rented properties (UK Parliament, 2025).
A cornerstone of national planning policy is the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), most recently updated in December 2024 and amended in February 2025, with accompanying Planning Practice Guidance (PPG). The updated NPPF introduces significant changes to how housing requirements are calculated, while maintaining the core principle that plans must be “positively prepared” and provide for objectively assessed housing needs (NPPF, 2024). Paragraphs 61–63 require local authorities to ensure a sufficient amount and variety of land comes forward to meet the needs of all groups—families, older people, looked-after children, disabled people, students, service families, those wishing to self-build, and more. The minimum number of homes needed must be determined using the Standard Method, with additional consideration for unmet needs in neighbouring areas. Housing Market Assessments must disaggregate need by tenure and type, and provide a separate, unconstrained assessment of affordable housing need. The affordable need figure is calculated independently and is used to determine whether additional homes should be planned to address local affordable need (MHCLG, 2024; Walsall Borough Council, 2025). While the NPPF primarily focuses on housing provision, it also highlights the importance of the wider surroundings, including the design and quality of public spaces, and places a strong emphasis on adapting to climate change, including addressing extreme weather events. This ensures that new homes are strategically located to maximise accessibility to amenities, green spaces, and healthy environments—critical factors in creating sustainable and inclusive communities.
The NPPF also clarified the approach to First Homes: while previously a mandatory tenure, the December 2024 update removed the requirement for at least 25% of affordable homes to be delivered as First Homes, allowing local authorities discretion to determine tenure mix based on local need. The NPPF and PPG provide a robust framework for Strategic Housing Market Assessments, underpinning the evidence base for future housing policies and delivery in Walsall. The full implications for Walsall are set out in Overall Housing Requirements section of this strategy.
The national Modern Industrial Strategy (2025) supports sector-specific investment in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital infrastructure, all of which have implications for Walsall’s future economic and housing offer (Department for Business & Trade, 2025). These priorities align with Walsall’s strengths and ambitions: clean energy investment can stimulate green jobs and retrofit programmes; advanced manufacturing supports the modernisation of local industry; and enhanced digital infrastructure underpins innovation and remote working. Planning reform, decarbonisation targets, and new funding models for affordable and specialist housing are reshaping the opportunities and constraints for local authorities, enabling more agile responses to viability challenges and unlocking new forms of development on brownfield and underutilised land.