A revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) - a missed opportunity for CLA members?

In a ministerial statement on 30 July, Angela Rayner (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government) announced the anticipated consultation to update the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation and proposed updates are in line with Labour’s manifesto pledges for housebuilding and reverse changes made to the NPPF by the Conservatives in December 2023.

The proposed changes seek to increase housing supply to 370,000 homes per year to meet the government's target of delivering 1.5m homes. To do this, the government proposes the following:

• Introducing a new revised standard method to calculate housing need that is to be used by every local planning authority.
• Committing to brownfield-first development.
• Implementing a ‘grey belt’ within the green belt with a set of golden rules that must be followed (e.g. more affordable housing and a challenge on land values).
• Improving the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ to ensure it supports housing supply and does not justify poor quality development.
• Deliver more affordable homes.
• Support economic growth in key sectors.
• Deliver community needs.
• Support clean renewable energy and the environment.

The proposals will undoubtedly boost housing supply, but the consultation feels like a missed opportunity for an enhanced recognition of rural areas within national planning policy. These regions have a unique housing need that must be addressed, while the rural economy also has the potential to play a big part in boosting the wider economy. We know that the countryside is 16% less productive than the national average and that closing this gap could add up to £43bn to the economy. The CLA will take this up with the government at the earliest opportunity.

In December 2023, the Conservative Government removed the five-year housing land supply, something that the CLA had objected to due to the anticipated impact it would have on ensuring a robust supply of rural housing development through the planning system. We are pleased to see the proposed return of the five-year housing land supply and introduction of a revised standard method for calculating housing need.

The green belt is not currently serving its intended purpose (to prevent urban sprawl and coalescence) and there is a need for urgent review of how it operates. The NPPF consultation proposes to reverse the 2023 amendment which further protected the designation by no longer requiring local authorities to undertake reviews of boundaries to serve housing need.

The CLA has identified that the green belt is a barrier to various forms of development that its members wish to carry out, particularly farm diversification and small village extensions. Whilst the proposed amendments to the NPPF do not acknowledge the importance that these types of developments can play for both the economy and housing need, we will be pushing for further flexibilities within the green belt to ensure it no longer acts as a blocker to rural housing delivery and the growth of rural businesses.

The consultation has also included the highly anticipated definition of the ‘grey belt’. The proposal is that the grey belt will cover areas within the green belt that comprise previously developed (brownfield) land or land that makes a limited contribution to the purpose of the green belt. There is scope for the grey belt to go further and it cannot be a missed opportunity for CLA members to see a green belt that works for them whilst also preventing urban sprawl.

This consultation provides the opportunity for the CLA to lobby for an amendment to the planning definition of ‘affordable housing’. Amending the definition may allow landowners to deliver affordable homes for rent without being a registered provider with the Regulator for Social Housing. The CLA has been calling for the amendment of this definition in our Missions and Programme for Government, and we are pleased to see that this government is considering a change.

In 2023, the NPPF was amended to ‘ensure the availability of land for food production is adequately weighted in the planning process’. Whilst the need for food security must be recognised within national policy, it needs to also consider that many agricultural businesses need to diversify to continue operating in a sustainable and viable way. National policy must not be a hinderance to this.

The consultation proposes to reverse the 2023 amendment. The CLA will reiterate to the government that not only does agricultural land already have sufficient protection in planning policy, but these businesses must also be able to expand sustainably.

Alongside the changes to the NPPF, the consultation also calls for views:

• Reform to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime and how it applies to onshore wind, solar, data centres, laboratories, gigafactories and water projects.
• Amendments to the intervention policies for local plans to ensure housing delivery in a local area.
• Further increases to some planning fees to ensure adequately resourced local authority planning departments.

It is also evident from the consultation that this government intends to utilise existing tools for planning reform, specifically National Development Management Policies (NDMPs) which were legislated for within the Conservative Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.