NPPF July 2024 – consultation for 8 weeks until 24th September 2024.
The Press Release was published first and trailed many of the changes to the NPPF that have been mentioned since the Labour party manifesto and more recently in the King’s Speech.
As widely expected, the changes made to the NPPF in December 2023 are proposed to be rescinded. However, this latest consultation goes further in line with the objective of supporting an increase in house building and delivering economic growth. The proposed changes include reference to effective strategic planning playing a vital and increasing role in delivering sustainable growth and how key spatial issues are to be addressed. Meeting housing needs, delivering strategic infrastructure and building economic and climate resilience are identified as examples of key strategic issues. Cross boundary collaboration is strengthened in advance of legislation to introduce mandatory mechanisms for strategic planning covering functional economic areas within the next 5 years.
Importantly the Government expects all authorities to have an up-to-date Local Plan – they will be required to plan for the number of homes their communities need, so people can engage in how, not if homes are built. If this is not achieved the Government intend to make use of intervention powers to ensure housing is provided.
The consultation on the proposed reforms to the NPPF is part of the wider consultation published on 30th July 2024 where the Government is also seeking views on increasing planning fees, local plan intervention and criteria and appropriate thresholds for certain NSIPs.
In addition to the 1.5 million homes the government has announced a Taskforce to lead on a new generation of new towns which is part of the long term vision to deliver large scale communities of at least 10,000 dwellings. Suitable locations for new towns are to be recommended within 12 months.
We will be responding to the consultation in September – Further advice please contact: Sarah Hamilton-Foyn.
Headline issues:
The main changes are to Chapter 5, Delivering a sufficient supply of Housing, Chapter 6 Building a Strong and Competitive Economy, Chapter 11 Making Effective Use of Land, Chapter 13 Protecting the Green Belt. Annex 1 Transition Arrangements. We have prepared a brief summary on the key areas where changes are proposed.
- Presumption in favour of Sustainable Development and Housing
- Plan Making and Effective Co-operation in Plan Making
- Economy and Infrastructure
- Brownfield, Grey Belt and Green Belt
- Energy/Climate Change matters
- Transition arrangements for Local Plans
Figure 1. Shows information on the annual net additions for each local authority. More information on change between the current standard method and proposed standard method figures can be seen by clicking on individual local authorities.