An Englishman’s home is his castle, so the old saying goes, and it seems an Englishman’s right to make his castle bigger is the key to getting the country back on its feet.

Or so the Government thinks with its recent announcement on the introduction of new measures relaxing planning rules making it easier for homeowners and businesses to extend their properties.

Under the changes, full planning permission – required for extensions of more than a few metres from the rear wall of any home – will now be needed only for those beyond six or eight metres, depending on whether it is terraced or detached.

Businesses will be able to expand shops by 100 square metres and industrial units by 200 square metres. Shops and offices will be allowed to develop up to the boundary of the premises.

But this is just the tip of the “growth strategy” iceberg, and with 20,000 people in the district looking for social housing or a more suitable property, could the guidelines be to their detriment – and put our green spaces in even more danger?

Up to now, any new developments generally have built into the planning agreement obligations to provide at least some affordable housing. But David Cameron’s proposals would waive this because the Prime Minister thinks it’s holding developers back from powering on with new builds.

Some people fear this means plans for high-cost, luxury homes in rural locations – just what Bradford doesn’t need – will be rubber-stamped, while those who need more affordable properties are left wanting.

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: “In Bradford we desperately need social housing and that housing needs to be in the right places so people can get to school and work. We do not need houses built in the leafy areas. The fact there could be less social housing is very worrying.”

However, there is one aspect of the proposals which could give some cheer to house-hunters – a further 16,500 first-time buyers are also to receive help getting on the property ladder under an extension of the FirstBuy scheme.

Would-be homeowners without a deposit are given an equity loan of up to 20 per cent of the purchase price under the scheme. And that could mean more incentives for developers to concentrate on bringing empty homes back into use because there’s a subsidised market for them, and also to develop existing brownfield properties and sites for lower-cost homes.

Charlie Cunningham, CEO of affordable property developer FreshStart Living, which has transformed the former Provident Financial building in Bradford city centre into student accommodation, said: “The UK is in the midst of a housing crisis and we have a severe shortage of affordable property, the new planning reforms will allow us as property developers to get building again and start bringing much-needed properties back on to the market.

“FreshStart Living currently has two developments which, although we have planning permission, have been stalled by acres of local authority red tape. The reforms will mean we can start work again, leading to the creation of jobs and 200 affordable properties. Once completed there will be hundreds of people living there providing a huge boost to the local economy, and all the property owners will be paying Council Tax to the local authority. It’s a win-win situation.”

But architect John Wharton, who with his wife Jennifer has been in business for more than 30 years, says the proposals don’t tackle the biggest bar to people getting on the property ladder – money.

He says: “I think the missing piece is the lack of banks lending. Through my own work I am well aware you can design a project and the client will go to the bank and if they cannot borrow any money it’s the end of the job. That is the first hurdle – it has nothing to do with planning.”

Coun Val Slater, Bradford Council’s executive member for housing, planning, transportation and highways, agrees the planning system isn’t the problem.

Coun Slater says there is already a national backlog of homes awaiting development. In Bradford 3,439 homes have received planning permission and are currently waiting to be built.

“We do welcome any measures that will boost the economy and provide housing we still desperately need in Bradford, but it is too little, too late,” she says.

She says relaxing planning permission for home extensions will only benefit a small number of people. “It will not create any new homes for us and that is what we need in Bradford.”

However, she welcomes the Government’s plans to tackle the issue of empty homes.

“That does help if you can bring some empty homes into being, but what we desperately need in Bradford is affordable housing. Homelessness is on the increase.”