Government Signals Pre-Christmas Publication of Updated National Planning Policy Framework

Appearing before the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee last month, Housing Secretary Steve Reed confirmed that an updated NPPF would be released “before Christmas”. The revised document will be accompanied by a suite of National Development Management Policies (NDMPs), which Ministers have confirmed will initially be introduced on a non-statutory basis.

 

NDMPs are intended to address commonly occurring planning considerations across England and provide greater consistency in decision-making. At the Land, Planning and Development Federation (LPDF) conference on 27 November, Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook explained why ministers had opted against making NDMPs statutory from the outset.

 

Pennycook stated that the Government had “considered very carefully” whether to pursue a statutory approach but ultimately concluded—supported by legal advice—that doing so would risk “disruption and delay” to both plan-making and decision-taking processes. He added that a non-statutory route, delivered through a revised NPPF, would enable the Government to achieve “broadly the same outcomes” without interrupting the operation of the planning system.

 

The Minister emphasised that the decision had been reached after months of detailed assessment and expressed confidence that forthcoming consultation on the new policies and updated NPPF would address any sector concerns. When asked how soon the revised framework would be published, Pennycook hinted the sector “won’t have to wait long”, noting Parliament enters recess on 18 December.

 

Further commentary came from Catriona Riddell, strategic planning specialist at the Planning Officers Society and Adviser to the Labour Party before the 2024 General Election. Riddell confirmed that the revised NPPF is already drafted and currently going through a final “clearing process”. She also said it is “very likely” to be published before the Christmas recess.

 

The updated NPPF is expected to set out the Government’s new approach to local plan-making, spatial development strategies, and national policies for decision-making. Its publication will follow the pattern seen in recent years, with previous updates released in late December—22 December 2022 and 19 December 2023—while the newly elected Labour Government published an initial version of the NPPF on 12 December last year.

 

DHA Planning will continue to monitor announcements closely and will provide further updates once the revised NPPF and associated NDMPs are published.