Planning for Success? The National Planning Policy Framework – A Consultation

Following the recent General Election, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are seeking views on their proposed approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework (‘NPPF’).

The NPPF sets out the Government’s ‘planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied’ by local planning authorities. It was most recently revised by the Conservative Government in December 2023.

The new Labour Government has expressed concern that the 2023 revisions ‘were disruptive to the sector and detrimental to housing supply’. As part of their manifesto, Labour pledged to build 1.5 million homes within five years.

A number of suggested changes to the NPPF have now been outlined, with the stated aim to ‘get Britain building again’. It is proposed that changes may be made ‘immediately’ following a period of consultation, so now is the time to make your views heard.

The proposed reforms to the NPPF include (but are not limited to) the following:

• The use of the ‘standard method’ for calculating the minimum housing need is to be made mandatory rather than advisory. The circumstances in which the minimum amount may be departed from are also to be made more restrictive. ‘Authorities may justify planning for a lower number [of homes] only where they can evidence hard constraints to the Planning Inspectorate’, such as the presence of protected habitats and areas of flood risk.

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• A revised ‘standard method’ will also be introduced, which will use?‘a baseline set at a percentage of existing housing stock levels’ and adopt a ‘stronger affordability multiplier’. The overall yearly target for the number of new homes to be built nationwide will increase.

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• Wording which previously stated that authorities could offset a previous oversupply of housing against their upcoming supply will be removed.

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• A new definition of ‘grey belt land’ is to be introduced. This will cover ‘Previously Developed Land’ and ‘areas of Green Belt land that make a limited contribution to the five Green Belt purposes’. These five purposes are already defined in the NPPF and include safeguarding the countryside and preserving the character of historic towns.

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• A new requirement for local planning authorities to ?undertake a review where their ‘identified housing, commercial or other need(s) [cannot be met] without altering Green Belt boundaries’ is proposed. At a wider level, the suggested changes are intended to facilitate the ‘targeted release of grey belt land’.

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• Where Green Belt land is released for development, it is proposed that a number of ‘golden rules’ will apply. For example, where housing is to be provided on the land, at least 50% of this should be affordable housing (subject to viability).

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• A clear expectation is to be introduced to the effect that any housing needs assessments must explicitly consider the needs of those persons requiring Social Rent.

What do you think? The consultation is open now and will close at 11.45pm on Tuesday 24th September 2024.

Details of how to respond, and full details of the proposed reforms, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-reforms-to-the-national-planning-policy-framework-and-other-changes-to-the-planning-system