Labour’s planning reforms are starting to work. But they won’t be enough.

As the Labour government turns in upon itself, this week brings a rare sign that one of its flagship policy platforms may actually be having a positive impact.

SEC Newgate’s National Planning Barometer 2026 (NPB) - the only nationally representative survey of councillors involved in planning decision-making - finds that planning reforms are beginning to shift the dial on housing delivery in England.

According to the research, launched today at UKREiiF in Leeds, councillors on the frontline of the planning system report growing confidence, a modest rise in planning consents - with around a third of councillors saying more homes are now being approved in their areas - and a softening of long-standing public resistance to new homes.

However, while this sounds like progress in tackling the housing crisis, in practice, it won’t be anywhere near enough to deliver the 1.5 million homes the government has promised. The bigger story is what is happening after planning consent, where the system is breaking down.

According to the NPB, slow build-out has emerged as the single biggest barrier to housing delivery. Nearly three quarters of councillors now point to delays after permission is granted, rather than problems within the planning system itself. In other words, we are no longer simply struggling to approve homes, we are struggling to get them built.

This marks an important shift in the national debate. For years, planning has been framed as the primary obstacle to growth, but the NPB now suggests this is no longer the whole story. Councillors report that planning committees are broadly functioning, while delivery is being held back by viability challenges, infrastructure gaps, and wider market conditions. 

At the same time, one of the most politically sensitive barriers - local opposition - appears to be easing. Fewer than one in three councillors now see community resistance as a major constraint, down sharply on previous years. This challenges a deeply embedded narrative around nimbyism, which is one of the most convenient explanations for slow progress.

Yet despite these shifts, the underlying scale of housing need remains unchanged. Demand for social and affordable housing continues to far outstrip supply, with more than 80% of councillors saying their areas need significantly more. 

And the geography of the crisis is becoming clearer. London stands apart as the most acute pressure point, where reform is having the least visible impact and constraints on land, affordability and scheme viability are most severe. 

Taken together, the findings point to a simple conclusion. Planning reform is necessary, and it may even be starting to work. But on its own, it will not be enough. If the government is serious about hitting its housing target, the next phase must go beyond planning rules and into the harder territory of delivery. This means tackling infrastructure funding, unlocking viability, and creating the conditions for developers to actually build at pace.

This year’s NPB reframes the debate around planning and we’re no longer asking whether the system can approve enough homes, but whether the country can deliver them once it does. This distinction could define the success or failure of Labour’s housing agenda.

Read our National Planning Barometer here