PLANS to scrap regulations on home extensions and shop-to-house conversions are just a “drop in the ocean” that fail to address the scale of the housing crisis, Labour has warned.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove is expected to announce reforms to national permitted development rights on Monday that will allow shops, takeaways and betting shops to be turned into living spaces, as well as enable barn conversions and the repurposing of agricultural buildings.

Ahead of his speech, he argued for the need to build in inner cities “so that we protect our countryside,” saying: “Empty shops or offices cannot be gathering dust while we have an urgent need for more homes.”

Responding to the expected announcement, shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Britain desperately needs more homes, but another review is a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed to fix the housing crisis.

“We don’t need more reviews or press releases, we need bold action to get Britain building.”

The Labour MP said that the part has set out plans to reform the planning system to “build the homes we need.”

“We will restore housing targets, reform compulsory purchase rules and take the tough choices to back the builders, not the blockers,” she said.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to restore the 300,000 housing target after the Tories watered down the commitment to stave off a back-bench rebellion last December.

The levelling up, housing and communities committee earlier this month warned that the government is unlikely to deliver 300,000 new homes per year following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to make the target advisory rather than mandatory.

The cross-party committee chairman Clive Betts said the decision was “already having a damaging impact on efforts to increase the building of new homes.”