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) until 10 March 2026. 

This follows long trailed expectations of rolling out new National Development Management Policies (NDMPs) and the ‘new plan making system’, with a raft of wider accompanying changes. 

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

The intent behind NDMPs is to prevent the restatement of standard development management policies in each local plan, extending their content and examination time, as well as presenting inconsistencies between local authorities on common matters. 

Following the Government determining to avoid the statutory route for NDMPs, these are now proposed to be integrated into the NPPF as a material consideration to which inconsistent local plan policies should be applied ‘very little weight’. As a consequence, the format and content of the NPPF is proposed to be fundamentally altered. This is intended to provide a clearer separation between local plan drafting and application decision making, with a ‘policy’ based document more akin to a local plan than the current arrangement. 

The ‘new plan making system’ reflects anticipated changes introduced via the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, with accompanying formal guidance published last month. These will embed what the Government states will be a more sped-up and streamlined plan making system. This will be supported by local government changes under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill expected to progress in 2026 that will formalise the use of Spatial Development Strategies by a number of new Mayoral Combined Authorities alongside the Mayor of London. 

The consultation summarises the 12 most pertinent changes: 

  1. A permanent presumption in favour of suitably located development: establishes a rules-based approach to make 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 unit mix for market sale housing. 
  5. Supporting small and medium sites: Introduces a category of “medium development” (10-49 units) with policy and regulatory easements to streamline planning and support faster delivery. 
  6. Streamlining local standards: limits quantitative standards in development plans to specific issues where local variation is justified, avoiding duplication of 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 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 climate change mitigation and adaptation, including promoting sustainable transport, energy-efficient designs, and renewable energy. 
  11. Conserving and enhancing the natural environment: changes to reflect Local Nature Recovery Strategies, emphasise landscape character, and introduces requirements for swift bricks and guidance on sites of local importance for nature. 
  12. Taking a positive approach to heritage assets: provides clearer and more positive approach to heritage-related development, replacing the current policies it considers 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.”