The government agrees on the need for significant engagement and notes past consultations led to revised plans. However, they opted to bring legislation forward without a draft bill or pre-legislative scrutiny, instead committing to engage the Committee on subsequent regulations.

The government agrees that the relationship between plans and national policy should be clear, stating the Bill will give local plans more weight and introduce National Development Management Policies. They also mention a new requirement for infrastructure providers to assist local authorities with plan drafting.

The government acknowledges the need for diversification on large sites and support for SMEs, citing existing loan funds. It addresses slow build rates by stating the Bill will introduce stronger tools for local authorities, including Development Commencement Notices and streamlined completion notices that can lead to loss of planning permission if deadlines are missed, but does not adopt the specific time limits or council tax penalty recommended.

The government states First Homes are already available at pilot sites and expects them to ramp up over the next few years, partially addressing the timetable. However, while local authorities retain discretion for overall affordable housing need, the policy mandates First Homes account for at least 25% of units, limiting discretion on proportion.

The government has considered previous land value capture recommendations and proposes a new Infrastructure Levy, developed based on consultations, to reform developer contributions and retain Section 106 agreements in limited circumstances.

The government does not commit to the requested £500 million additional funding for local planning authorities, instead highlighting an existing £65 million investment for digital improvements and proposing to increase planning fees by 25-35% to enhance resourcing.

The government agrees to put Historic Environment Records on a statutory basis, with provisions in the Bill. It also states the Bill will align legislative protection for key designated heritage assets, but the response does not explicitly commit to publishing a broad impact assessment of proposed changes on historic buildings and sites.