Consultation launched on changes to NPPF

MHCLG announces consultation on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced a consultation seeking input on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other aspects of the UK planning system.

Key proposed changes to the NPPF include:

- Making the standard method for assessing housing needs mandatory.

- Reversing the amendments made to the NPPF in December 2023.

- Introducing a new standard method for housing calculations.

- Expanding the definition of brownfield land.

- Identifying grey belt land within the Green Belt.

- Enhancing the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

- Establishing new guidelines for developing affordable, well-designed homes on Green Belt land.

- Enabling local authorities to focus on the types of affordable housing their communities require.

- Supporting economic growth in sectors such as laboratories, gigafactories, datacentres, digital economies, and logistics.

- Promoting community needs and healthy living spaces.

- Backing clean energy initiatives, including onshore wind and renewables.

The consultation also addresses wider changes to the planning system, including:

- Reforming the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime for sectors like onshore wind, solar, and data centres.

- Updating or removing criteria for local plan intervention policies to ensure timely housing delivery.

- Proposing increases to certain planning fees to help local authorities manage increased development and improve performance.

Local planning authorities will be expected to develop clear, ambitious local plans for high-quality housebuilding and economic growth.

This consultation will close at 11:45pm on 24 September 2024.

For further details, visit the MHCLG consultation page

The current NPPF can be viewed here.

What is the NPPF

The NPPF was first published by the UK government in March 2012. It consolidates previously issued planning policy documents into one place and aims to make the planning system more accessible.

The NPPF sets out the government’s planning policies for development in England, planning practise guidance explaining how policies are to be applied is also provided online.

The NPPF stance on different types of land use must be taken into account by local planning authorities when they are forming local planning policies and providing decisions on planning applications.

The NPPF covers all national planning issues and is the main statement of Government policy on how development in England should happen. Whenever any land development project is carried out, it must take into consideration and abide by what the NPPF states about different types of land use.