By Steve Robson and Arj Singh

Thousands of new homes are set to be built near train stations around England under new planning rules that will pave the way for the major expansion of commuter villages.

Councils will have to give a default yes to proposals for housing around train, tram and underground stations, even if they are on green belt land.

The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) announced on Monday are designed to speed up housebuilding, as the Government tries to meet a pledge to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.

The Government has not specified which areas it will target for housebuilding but The i Paper understands that one key criteria is that nearby rail stations can run at least four trains per hour into a large urban area.

The rules will pave the way for thousands of new homes closer to train stations, the Government said, with minimum expectations set for how much housing should be built in these areas.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said the move will “tackle the housing crisis and raise living standards for people in every corner of the country”.

But plans to fast-track housing in commuter areas with small populations and, in some cases, on green belt land risk a backlash from campaigners.

Experts believe England has a huge amount of underdeveloped train and tram stations, especially within commuting distance of the biggest cities, that are close to land that could be built upon.

Research published by Centre for Cities, a think-tank close to Andy Burnham’s Government, found that more than two million homes could be built around just five areas – London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle.

The calculation was based on the idea of developing fields or woodland within 800 metres, or a 10-minute walk, of an existing station – a principle the Government is expected to follow.

Read more here.