By Paul Burrell, Head of Planning, Pegasus Group 

The publication of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is a welcome shift towards a clearer and more pro-development Framework, at a time when the UK economy sorely needs it. Its policies are now a material consideration which must be taken into account when preparing plans and determining planning applications. Whilst policies within Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans continue to hold weight, they should be afforded very limited weight if they are materially inconsistent with those within the new NPPF and adopted under a former version of the NPPF. 

Notable is the continuation of the change to the format of the NPPF, with clearly referenced policies set for determining a planning application, and for plan-making. This will provide greater clarity for professionals, applicants, local planning authorities, and the public when navigating the number of supporting documents required for planning applications, and to justify the soundness of a Local Plan while also promoting a more consistent approach to assessing development proposals. The Government’s intention here is clearly to create a more predictable rules-based planning system that encourages faster decision-making and more confidence in investment.  

Much of the headline policy changes have been well-trailed in the earlier consultation draft version.  

Key points include:  

  • Substantial weight should be applied to the delivery of new homes where there is a need,  
  • Positive policies in relation to the delivery of development on Grey Belt land remain and the definition of Grey Belt Land has been simplified by removing the need to address former footnote 7 restrictions,   
  • There is now far stronger support for development within settlements and outside / on the edge of settlements (where there is a need) and around well-connected railway stations (more on this below). 
  • There is also stronger support for key infrastructure, engineering works associated with the energy network, telecommunications, water, renewable energy, employment uses, data centres and motorway service areas.   

A more streamlined planning application process and increased focus on viability 

There is an emphasis placed on streamlining the planning application determination process and introducing a new category of medium scale development, which has less onerous information requirements than for larger-scale proposals. The consultation requirements have also been streamlined to aid the potential for quicker decision-making.   

The increased focus on viability testing during the plan making stage is also welcome. It should reduce the scope for viability disputes later and provide greater certainty for landowners, developers, as well as Local Authorities. This will be especially important for large-scale projects where significant upfront investment is required before the full benefits of development are realised.    

In total, the changes to the NPPF are significant and should help create a far more positive approach to considering development going forward, but it will crucially depend upon both the appetite and ability of hard-pressed Local Authorities to be able to apply, action and deliver upon applying these new policies and priorities. 

A much clearer path to development next to Well Connected Stations 

The NPPF provides a clearer pathway for considering Green Belt development on land around well-connected transport hubs through plan-making and decision making. In the context of plan making, there is no longer the need for the Council to demonstrate exceptional circumstances where a development plan’s spatial strategy identifies suitable land for development in these locations. Development on such land can now also be regarded as one of the limited exceptions to development in the Green Belt, meaning the impacts of such development on the openness of the Green Belt need not be considered.    

In terms of defining what is a well-connected station, a key change between the consultation draft and the final NPPF is the inclusion of the top 80 Travel to Work Areas by GVA. The previous draft included the top 60 and the additional 20 areas are set out below (see footnote). Service provision still needs to be either 4 trains an hour during the daytime or 2 in the same direction. That said, suitable sites that rely on these particular policies also still need to be within a reasonable walking distance (i.e. around 800m / 10-minute walk).  

This will greatly assist in making positive use of our Victorian and more modern-day railway infrastructure in locations where previous restrictive Green Belt policies have prevented this from taking place. We can foresee that some of the more fruitful opportunities will relate to Green Belt land around villages on the edge of main conurbations that are surrounded or washed over by Green Belt but have a well-connected train station. Such proposals could save certain railways and lead to increased patronage on the railway, as well as increase the sustainability and viability of local services within such villages – many of which may have seen a decline in such services over the last two to three decades.      

That said, major development proposals for housing in such locations will still need to satisfy the relevant policy tests and comply with the “Golden Rules.” This includes delivery of an increased amount of affordable housing, necessary infrastructure, and accessible public green space.  

The schemes that succeed will most likely be those that can demonstrate measurable environmental outcomes on top of economic and housing benefits. This could include biodiversity enhancement, nature recovery, landscape improvements, sustainable drainage, low-carbon design, renewable energy generation, and reduced reliance on private cars. In other words, the Government is heavily signalling here that development must be about more than just building. It must create places that are more connected and sustainable, and which deliver wider public value. 

More generally, however, station-led growth, is a big element of the new NPPF, with development outside settlement boundaries receiving stronger policy support where it is demonstrably linked to high-quality public transport. Local plans will be expected to identify and allocate opportunities for station-led growth, prioritising locations that encourage walking, cycling, and public transport use.  

Footnote: the 20 additional areas identified as being within the Top 80 Travel to Work Areas:

Blackpool Telford Burton Upon Trent Chesterfield
Cheltenham Poole Kettering and Wellingborough Barnsley
Doncaster Chichester and Bognor Regis Grimsby Eastbourne
Birkenhead Worthing Harrogate Huntingdon
Colchester Newbury Halifax Yeovil