Planning reform may double council's housing goal

About 773 homes a year are built in the area managed by the council

Changes to the planning system could see the number of homes built in a local authority each year nearly double.

Under the government's proposed changes, Westmorland and Furness Council, which currently sees about 773 homes built each year in the area it manages, would be required to hit an annual target of 1,430.

The council said it was "committed to supporting more housing to meet all needs so that local families can build a life here".

All local authorities in England would be given new, mandatory housing targets to pave the way for 1.5 million more homes, the government said.

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has written to every council leader and chief executive in England saying there is a "moral obligation" to see more homes built, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Our new flexibilities for councils will boost the number of social and affordable homes, and give working families a better route to a secure home," she said.

A spokesperson for Westmorland and Furness Council said it supported high-quality housing that was "affordable, well designed and energy efficient" and "accompanied by appropriate infrastructure to support communities".

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation on the proposed plans which ends on 24 September.