Government’s consultation on the planning reform package is released.

31 July 2024

The Government has yesterday (30^th September 2024) released a new draft NPPF on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other changes to the planning system.

This consultation, which closes on 24^th September 2024, is seeking views on the Government’s proposed approach to revising the NPPF. It also seeks views on a series of wider national planning policy reforms.

Stipulating that there is an urgent need for decisive reform in the planning system,  the draft NPPF removes many of the December 2023 NPPF changes, for example, the 4 year housing land supply.

The consultation document emphasises the need to consider these changes in the context of the overall NPPF.

In summary the Government’s proposed changes incorporate the following;

a. Make the standard method for assessing housing needs mandatory, requiring local authorities to plan for the resulting housing need figure, planning for a lower figure only when they can demonstrate hard constraints and that they have exhausted all other options;

b. Implement a new standard method and calculation;

c. Change paragraph 11d both in terms of triggers for the tilted balance and its wording;

d. Broaden the existing definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved and that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas;

e. Identify grey belt land within the Green Belt, to be brought forward into the planning system through both plan and decision-making to meet development needs;

f. Improve the operation of ‘the presumption’ in favour of sustainable development;

g. Produce new “golden rules” for land released in the Green Belt;

h. Make wider changes to ensure that local planning authorities are able to prioritise the types of affordable homes;

i. Change affordable housing and mix policy;

j. Refocus design policy on good design rather than ‘beauty’;

The link below is of the document with the highlighted changes.

National Planning Policy Framework: draft text for consultation (publishing.service.gov.uk)