National Planning Policy Framework published

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on 12th December 2024.

It follows the consultation in July 2024 to which the Government has now published its response. The update is effective immediately.

The main changes in the new NPPF are as follows -

• Makes housing targets mandatory and reverses other changes made under the previous Government regarding housing supply;

• Implements a new standard method formula to ensure local plans are in line with the Government’s manifesto commitment of 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament;

• Confirms transitional arrangements for local plans in the existing system;

• Defines grey belt land within the Green Belt, to be brought forward for homes and other important development through both plan and decision-making;

• Defines new ‘Golden Rules’ for land released in the Green Belt to ensure release delivers in the public interest, as well as the policy considerations of affordable housing, design quality, and sustainable locations that are part of the presumption in favour of sustainable development;

• Makes wider changes to ensure that local planning authorities are able to prioritise the types of affordable homes their communities need, and that the planning system supports a more diverse housebuilding sector;

• Supports economic growth in key sectors, including laboratories, gigafactories, data centres, digital economies, and freight and logistics – given the Government’s importance of these to the country’s economic future;

• Delivers community needs to support society and the creation of healthy places and adopting a ‘vision led’ approach to transport planning; and

• Supports clean energy and the environment, including through support for onshore wind and renewables.

Please note that the above is a high-level description only of the key changes and is not exhaustive - as ever the devil is in the detail of the new wording. What is clear is that the national planning policy changes are fundamental and far reaching. There have also been accompanying changes, and will be further changes, to Planning Practice Guidance to provide further detail. Please keep an eye on our ‘News’ for further updates or contact our Planning Policy Team to discuss.