National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system

Proposed Changes to the NPPF

 

At the heart of the consultation are 12 substantive policy changes, intended to support housing delivery, economic growth and sustainable development. These include:

 

• A permanent presumption in favour of suitably located development

• Building homes around stations, reinforcing the role of public transport-led development

• Driving urban and suburban densification

• Securing a diverse mix of homes, including different tenures and sizes

• Supporting small and medium-sized sites, recognising their role in housing delivery

• Streamlining local standards to reduce complexity and delay

• Boosting local and regional economies

• Supporting critical and growth minerals

• Embedding a vision-led approach to transport planning

• Better addressing climate change, including mitigation and adaptation

• Conserving and enhancing the natural environment

• Taking a more positive approach to the use of heritage assets

Together, these measures are aimed at increasing certainty, accelerating delivery and aligning development more closely with national growth and sustainability objectives.

 

Additional Areas of Consultation

 

Alongside the core NPPF reforms, the Government is also consulting on a number of targeted policy changes, including:

 

• Data centres and on-site energy generation

• Standardised inputs into viability assessments, intended to bring greater consistency and transparency (with early commentary from industry specialists such as Danielle Lawrence)

• Reforming site thresholds, with proposals suggesting a shift broadly in line with market expectations – notably for sites delivering 10–49 homes and a more generous site size threshold of 2.5 hectares

These changes could have important implications for scheme viability, affordable housing delivery and the classification of development sites.

 

Integration of National Development Management Policies

 

The consultation also proposes to embed the National Development Management Policies (NDMPs) directly into the revised NPPF. As part of this restructuring, the annexes have been updated to include new guidance on how assessments should be undertaken across a range of policy areas, providing greater clarity on decision-making expectations.

 

Next Steps

 

The consultation runs until 10 March, and DHA Planning will continue to review the proposed reforms closely. These changes have the potential to significantly influence plan-making, decision-taking and development strategy across England.

 

We will be providing further insights on the implications of the draft NPPF for developers, landowners and local authorities as the consultation progresses.

 

If you would like advice on how these proposed changes may affect your projects or land interests, please get in touch with the DHA Planning team.