More than 823,000 homes could be built within walking distance of England’s most well-connected train stations, according to new analysis from property data platform, Searchland. The figure represents close to three years of the government’s yearly housing target and almost four years of current housing delivery levels.
The research assesses 1,323 train, metro and light rail stations across England and identifies land within a 15-minute walk that could be suitable for residential development, highlighting the scale of opportunity created by proposed planning reforms focused on building in well-connected locations.
The findings show that development potential is concentrated in key regions, with London accounting for 251,784 homes, followed by the North West with 132,610 homes and the South East with 129,148 homes. Together, these three regions account for around 62% of the total identified capacity, although opportunities exist across hundreds of locations nationwide.
Hugh Gibbs, co-founder of Searchland, said: “There’s been a lot of focus on building homes in the right locations, but very little clarity on where that actually is in practice. What this analysis shows is that the capacity already exists – and in many cases, it’s sitting around well-connected stations that haven’t yet been prioritised. If planning policy continues in this direction, these locations could become some of the most important sources of new housing in the country.”
The analysis comes as proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) place greater emphasis on development around transport hubs, including a potential ‘default yes’ approach to suitable development near stations. By prioritising these areas, policymakers aim to accelerate housing delivery in locations already supported by infrastructure and better aligned with sustainable growth.
Unlike high-level land estimates, the analysis removes areas unlikely to be developed, such as land already in established use and sites affected by environmental or physical constraints. This provides a more realistic view of where homes could be delivered if policy continues to shift in favour of transport hub-led development.
While the largest opportunities sit in major regions, the data suggests the potential is widely distributed rather than concentrated in a small number of hotspots, pointing to a broader national opportunity for housing delivery.
Searchland said that the figures represent gross housing capacity within station catchments and are not a forecast of delivery, but provide a clear indication of where development could be focused as planning policy evolves.
