The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched Phase 2 of the New Homes Accelerator (NHA), widening eligibility to sites of fewer than 500 homes and introducing a London-focused support offer run by the Greater London Authority. Ministers present the programme as a delivery tool for the commitment to 1.5 million homes in this Parliament. (gov.uk)
According to the department’s press notice, the Accelerator has so far helped move over 125,000 homes forward by combining site-specific planning support with system fixes. Of these, more than 48,500 have progressed through casework and interventions, with issues resolved at a further 76,500 homes. Since August 2025, another c.13,500 homes have been accelerated through joint work with arms‑length bodies. (gov.uk)
London now has two dedicated, no‑cost services funded by central government: NHA LDN for developers and ATLAS LDN for borough planning teams. The first intake window runs from Thursday 29 January 2026 to midnight on Thursday 26 February 2026, with the platform remaining open for future rounds thereafter. The GLA states the services will focus on stalled delivery and capacity support, including pre‑applications, masterplans and independent review. (london.gov.uk)
Outside the capital, a national GOV.UK portal has gone live for developers, councils and landowners to request assistance. The guidance confirms submissions from across England and directs London sites to the GLA platform. The department describes the national route as a year‑round channel to flag stalled or slow‑moving developments. (gov.uk)
Seven sites join the programme in this phase across priority growth areas, including the Oxford–Cambridge corridor. Named schemes include a North West Bicester cluster (Land West of Howes Lane, Himley Village, and Hawkwell Village), Wretchwick Green in South East Bicester, and Stewartby Brickworks in Bedfordshire, alongside Rectory Farm in Lincolnshire and the AGT‑2 site in Aylesbury. (gov.uk)
Policy Wire notes the press notice carries two different totals for this cohort: “over 11,400 homes” and “nearly 60,000 homes added to the pipeline”. Based on the sites listed, the combined capacity is approximately 11,450 homes. Readers should treat the larger figure with caution pending departmental clarification. (gov.uk)
The department emphasises joint working with statutory consultees and infrastructure bodies to remove systemic blockers. Recent activity includes progressing Flood Risk Activity Permits to unlock c.3,000 homes at Hampden Fields in Aylesbury, and coordinated engagement with the Environment Agency, Natural England, Network Rail and National Highways to address utilities, environmental and transport dependencies. (gov.uk)
This system-facing strand aligns with wider reform work. Government material linked to the Accelerator identifies statutory consultee processes, infrastructure delivery and utilities as recurring causes of delay; Phase 2 is positioned to work these issues through with relevant agencies while local planning authorities focus on decisions and plan-making. (gov.uk)
For councils, the London offer provides additional capacity and neutral assurance via ATLAS LDN on major applications, masterplans and pre‑apps, with access to specialist consultancy and GLA/TfL inputs. Boroughs can submit cases in the current window and continue to use the platform after 26 February 2026 for subsequent rounds. Outside London, authorities can refer sites through the national portal where Homes England and MHCLG will triage support. (london.gov.uk)
For developers and landowners, the inclusion of sub‑500‑home schemes marks a material change. NHA LDN will focus on practical delivery issues, including non‑planning barriers, post‑permission obstacles and routes to funding or finance. Applicants are expected to evidence deliverability within this Parliament, with the GLA highlighting “delivery‑ready opportunities” to 2029. (gov.uk)
The launch lands ahead of the new local plan system due to begin in early 2026, which introduces a 30‑month plan process, staged gateways and digital‑first requirements. Councils aligning their pipelines with these gateways may find NHA/ATLAS support useful where resourcing or cross‑agency issues threaten timetables. (gov.uk)
Underlying demand for assistance is significant. Government correspondence on the Accelerator’s 2024 call for evidence reports responses covering 725 large sites of 500+ homes, underscoring the scale of stalled capacity that Phase 2 is now seeking to address alongside the newly eligible smaller schemes. (gov.uk)
Immediate actions are time‑critical: London submissions for this round close on 26 February 2026, while the national portal remains open for England‑wide referrals. Programme literature indicates that cases demonstrating clear barriers, realistic delivery timetables and multi‑agency dependencies are most likely to be prioritised for coordinated support. (london.gov.uk)