Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system
The Government has opened a consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation will begin on Tuesday 30 July 2024 at 2pm and close at 11.45pm on Tuesday 24 September 2024.
Extract from the consultation introduction:
Today, we set out specific changes we propose to make immediately to the NPPF following this consultation. These changes – amending the planning framework, and universal, ambitious local plan coverage – are vital to deliver the Government’s commitments to achieve economic growth and build 1.5 million new homes. Specifically, they will:
a. make the standard method for assessing housing needs mandatory, requiring local authorities to plan for the resulting housing need figure, planning for a lower figure only when they can demonstrate hard constraints and that they have exhausted all other options;
b. reverse other changes to the NPPF made in December 2023 which were detrimental to housing supply;
c. implement a new standard method and calculation to ensure local plans are ambitious enough to support the Government’s manifesto commitment of 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament;
d. broaden the existing definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved and that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas;
e. identify grey belt land within the Green Belt, to be brought forward into the planning system through both plan and decision-making to meet development needs;
f. improve the operation of ‘the presumption’ in favour of sustainable development, to ensure it acts an effective failsafe to support housing supply, by clarifying the circumstances in which it applies; and, introducing new safeguards, to make clear that its application cannot justify poor quality development;
g. deliver affordable, well-designed homes, with new “golden rules” for land released in the Green Belt to ensure it delivers in the public interest;
h. make wider changes to ensure that local planning authorities are able to prioritise the types of affordable homes their communities need on all housing development and that the planning system supports a more diverse housebuilding sector;
i. support economic growth in key sectors, aligned with the Government’s industrial strategy and future local growth plans, including laboratories, gigafactories, datacentres, digital economies and freight and logistics – given their importance to our economic future;
j. deliver community needs to support society and the creation of healthy places; and
k. support clean energy and the environment, including through support for onshore wind and renewables.
All residents are welcome to submit responses to the consultation.
For any enquiries about the consultation please contact: [email protected]
Responses can be submitted online or, written responses can be sent to:
Planning Policy Consultation Team
Planning Directorate – Planning Policy Division
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Floor 3, Fry Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF