Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 39

What happened: On 13 November 2025, the House of Commons voted by 250 to 133 to disagree with Lords Amendment 39 to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The vote was one of several on the same day in which the government sought to overturn changes made to the Bill by the House of Lords. Lords Amendment 39 concerned a brownfield-first approach to development, which would have required planning policy to prioritise building on previously developed land before greenfield or other sites could be considered.

Why it matters: By rejecting this Lords amendment, the government preserved its position that brownfield land should be considered a priority through local planning policy rather than through a binding legislative requirement. Ministers argued that a statutory brownfield-first obligation would not account for the diversity of brownfield sites across England, many of which may be unsuitable or unviable, and that local authorities are better placed to weigh up such considerations. The vote keeps intact the government's broader approach to meeting its target of 1.5 million new homes in England by the end of this Parliament, under which planners retain flexibility to allocate greenfield land where brownfield supply is insufficient.

The politics: The vote split almost entirely along party lines. All Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted supported the government's position, while Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the Green Party all voted against. Two independent MPs voted with the government. The Lords amendment had drawn on analysis by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which Conservative MP Greg Smith cited in debate, claiming enough brownfield land exists for 1.4 million homes. The government rejected that framing. This division was one of at least five on the same day in which the Commons overruled the Lords on this Bill, reflecting the government's determination to secure Royal Assent quickly.