Proposed Reform to the National Planning Policy Framework

The UK Government prioritises economic growth through a three-pronged approach: stability, investment, and reform

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) launched a consultation on proposed reforms to the national planning policy framework and other changes to the planning system, which is available to view here.

The UK Government prioritises economic growth through a three-pronged approach: stability, investment, and reform. The consultation is seeking views on the proposed approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as well as other broader changes, in order to achieve sustainable growth and an effective and efficient planning system. Below we have provided some context around why the NPPF is important, what is being proposed, and when these changes are expected to be adopted, and how these proposed changes may be of interest to the Delivery Associates Network.

What is the NPPF and why is it important?

First adopted in 2012 by the Coalition Government, the NPPF is the national tier of planning policy for England. It provides policy for local planning authorities on how they should develop their local plans and make decisions on planning applications.

The NPPF has been periodically updated by the incumbent government. The currently adopted NPPF is the December 2023 version, which was produced under the previous Government. The current government are keen to create a stable planning system to provide certainty and therefore they are seeking to make changes to the NPPF which they intend to remain in place.

The aim of the NPPF is to ensure that the planning system contributes to sustainable development. This means that it should balance economic, social, and environmental considerations. The NPPF is important for several reasons:

Provides a national framework for planning and decision making
Promotes sustainable development
Streamlines the planning process
Empowers communities

Overall, the NPPF plays a crucial role in shaping the built environment and ensuring that development is carried out in a way that benefits communities and the environment.

The NPPF and the amendments, are a significant indication of the priorities and direction of this new Government. From being referenced on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street and the speed at which these proposals have been announced, shows the importance that is being placed on the planning system as an enabler of sustainable development. For the Delivery Associates Network, the proposed changes are important. They and should be considered in how you are framing and positioning considering your schemes, what are the benefits are you are seeking to achieve and how you are presenting these, when considered alongside the national priorities.

What changes to planning policy and the planning system are proposed under the current consultation?

There are a number of amendments proposed to the NPPF which aim to increase growth and opportunities to secure homes and jobs across England, and recognition of the need to go beyond by ensuring that the necessary community and public infrastructure to support the homes and jobs is also prioritised and supported.

Some of the proposed amendments to the NPPF which will be of interest to the Delivery Associates Network include:

Strengthening the presumption in favour of sustainable development alongside reintroducing the full weighting of the 5 year housing land supply tests and 20% buffers;
A new standard method for calculating housing need, based off growing the total amount off existing stock, meaning there should be a greater spread of need nationally, with a majority of councils’ expected to be planning for a greater number of homes;
Affordable housing reform, which allows Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to set their own affordable housing tenure mixes;
Focusing on the benefits of strategic planning – which is specifically addressed in the NPPF and is seen as vital in how sustainable growth is delivered and key spatial issues, including meeting housing needs, delivering strategic infrastructure, and building economic and climate resilience, are addressed;
Strategically planning for economic opportunities for laboratories, giga-factories, data centres, digital infrastructure, freight and logistics;
Significant weight to be placed on the importance of new, expanded or upgraded public service infrastructure;
A move towards vision led transport planning – the government are seeking views on a change in the approach to the way we consider transport planning, so as to encourage less private car ownership, and give greater weight to schemes which seek to develop alternative modes of travel, where it is appropriate to do so;
Brownfield first and a move towards brownfield passports, where development on brownfield land should be regarded as acceptable in principle where it promotes housing, economic or infrastructure development;
Removal of the subjective tests of beauty, in favour of well designed places, with policies securing these at the local level through design codes;
Green belt reform, the introduction of grey belt and the golden rules which prioritise the release of green belt land where it can help meet housing need, 50% affordable housing and delivery of key infrastructure and improved green spaces (specific viability conditions in these cases has been set out in the proposed appendix 4);
A focus on strategically planning for low carbon and renewable energy development; and
There are new transitional arrangements for plan-making set out in Annex 1, where Councils’ who are currently drafting and reviewing local plans can continue to do so but may be subject to an immediate review.

There are also proposals which go beyond amending the NPPF and focus on making the current planning system more efficient and effective.

On planning fees, the consultation highlights a £262million shortfall in financing of the existing system in which the government propose in the first instance to increase fees for householder planning applications to £528 as an immediate step. There are also views sought on a new way of setting planning application fees, with two models provided, a fully localised model, where an LPA can set their own fees, or a part local variation model, where a national fee schedule is set out by the government, and local authorities deviate from this fee if there is sufficient evidence to do so.

The government are also reviewing plans around local plan intervention criteria and how it can be changed to better align with Government’s priorities for universal local plan coverage and planning to be a key driver for growth.

When would these changes come into force?

The consultation on the NPPF and other policy changes will close at 11.45pm on Tuesday 24 September 2024. Details of how to respond to the consultation can be found here.

Following this, MHCLG will consider all of the responses before deciding whether to amend the proposed policy changes before implementing them. There is no statutory timeframe for action to be taken but given the priority this government has placed on planning reform as an engine for economic growth, we expect MHCLG to prioritise and move fast, with these changes being mooted as being adopted before the end of the year.

Members of the Delivery Associates Network should keep a close eye on the consultation outcome, and it is recommended that you start reviewing alignment of schemes with the proposed national policy direction of travel.

Is this also worth mentioning that Labour wants to create a stable planning system and therefore they are seeking to make changes to the NPPF which they intend to remain in place - there will be wording directly from Angela Rayner or Matthew Pennycook that you can more directly paraphrase. This is technically correct, but for the DAN readers is this relevant to them? Why do they need to know this? Sir Kier and Angela Rayner have given some extremely ambition timescales - the end of Sept which is unlikely for due process reasons but you may want to reflect this?

Josh Dickinson With over eight years of experience as a chartered town planner, Josh provides project management and planning consultancy services. Josh works with clients across various industries, such as strategic land, regeneration, residential, public sector, and commercial development, to deliver positive results on complex projects.

If you have any questions on this topic, or would like support, please contact your Delivery Associate, or email DeliveryAssociatesNetwork@Arup.com