By Daniel Weaver, Deputy Head of Planning of Pegasus Group 

The Government has today (16 December 2025) published a consultation on proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation period will run until 10 March 2026.

Background to Proposed Changes

This follows long-anticipated expectations of the rollout of new National Development Management Policies (NDMPs) and the ‘new plan-making system’. These changes are accompanied by a broad range of additional reforms.

Significance of the Proposed Changes

The proposed changes represent the most significant update to the NPPF since its introduction in 2012.

Purpose of NDMPs

The intent behind NDMPs is to prevent the repeated inclusion of standard development management policies in each local plan. This practice has led to unnecessarily lengthy content, prolonged examination times, and inconsistencies between local authorities on common planning matters.
Integration of NDMPs into the NPPF
The Government has decided to avoid the statutory route for NDMPs. Instead, NDMPs are now proposed for integration into the NPPF as a material consideration. Local plan policies that are inconsistent with these standards should be given ‘very little weight’. As a result, the format and content of the NPPF will be fundamentally altered. This is intended to provide a clearer distinction between local plan drafting and application decision-making, making the NPPF more like a local plan than the current arrangement.

The ‘New Plan Making System’

The ‘new plan-making system’ reflects anticipated changes introduced by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, with formal guidance published last month. According to the Government, these measures will create a faster, more streamlined plan-making process. Further support will come from local government changes under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, expected to progress in 2026. These changes will formalise the use of Spatial Development Strategies by several new Mayoral Combined Authorities, as well as the Mayor of London.

Summary of Key Proposed Changes

The consultation document summarises the 12 most pertinent changes:
    1. A permanent presumption in favour of suitably located development: establishes a rules-based approach that makes development on suitable urban land acceptable by default, with a revised presumption in favour of sustainable development.
    2. Building homes around stations: Supports housing and mixed-use development around train stations, with minimum density requirements of 40 dwellings per hectare for stations within settlements and 50 dwellings per hectare for well-connected stations outside settlements.
    3. Driving urban and suburban densification: encourages higher density development in urban and suburban areas through redevelopment of low-density plots, upward extensions, and infill development, with clear expectations for minimum densities in well-connected locations.
    4. Securing a diverse mix of homes: strengthens support for rural social and affordable housing, accessible housing for older and disabled people, and flexibility in the unit mix for market-sale housing.
    5. Supporting small and medium sites: Introduces a “medium development” category (10-49 units) with policy and regulatory easements to streamline planning and accelerate delivery.
    6. Streamlining local standards: limit quantitative standards in development plans to specific issues where local variation is justified, and avoid duplicating matters covered by Building Regulations.
    7. Boosting local and regional economies: gives substantial weight to business growth, supports specific sectors like logistics and AI Growth Zones, and seeks views on removing the town centre sequential test.
    8. Supporting critical and growth minerals: ensures adequate provision for the extraction of critical minerals while restricting further coal extraction to align with clean energy goals.
    9. Embedding a vision-led approach to transport: moves away from a “predict and provide” approach to transport planning, emphasising sustainable and well-designed transport systems.
    10. Better addressing climate change: Sets clearer policies for mitigation and adaptation, including promoting sustainable transport, energy-efficient design, and renewable energy.
    11. Conserving and enhancing the natural environment: changes to reflect Local Nature Recovery Strategies, emphasise landscape character, and introduce requirements for swift bricks and guidance on sites of local importance for nature.
    12. Taking a positive approach to heritage assets: provides a clearer, more positive framework for heritage-related development, replacing the current policies, which are considered difficult to navigate.

Daniel Weaver, Deputy Head of Planning of Pegasus Group, advises, “We welcome the intention to streamline the planning system to help deliver development that the country requires. However, with such a significant degree of change, matters of detail will be crucial for our client’s interests. We would therefore encourage everyone within the industry to fully engage with the consultation to ensure the positive outcomes sought will be delivered.”