NPPF changes announced
- Category: News
- Date Published: 14th August 2024
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the Consultation Draft of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on the 30th of July 2024.
The draft document (hereby referred to as “NPPF24”) expands upon Labour’s Manifesto and pledges to promote growth, restore mandatory housing targets, introduce a “grey belt” land category, and strengthen the presumption in favour of sustainable development. The document is out for consultation until the 24th of September 2024.
This article will briefly focus on a number of key changes in the draft legislation.
Housing Supply and Targets
- Mandatory Housing Targets will be reinstated for Local Authorities and the Government seeks delivery of 1.5million homes within this parliament;
- A new standard method to calculate local housing need assessment is proposed which demonstrates a housing need for England of 371,541 homes per annum;
- Local Planning Authorities will be required to plan for the resulting need and demonstrate that they have undertaken all steps possible, including a review of Green Belt boundaries, before a lower need can be accepted.
The Green Belt and “Grey Belt”
- Green Belt boundaries will only be altered in plan-led exceptional circumstances where housing, commercial and other local needs have not been met and where it can be demonstrated that the alterations would not fundamentally undermine the functions of the Green Belt.
- The “Grey Belt” is defined as land within the Green Belt comprising previously developed land and any other parcels of land which make a limited contribution to the five Green Belt purposes. Land with environmental or heritage conservation value will not be included within the Grey Belt.
- Land within the Grey Belt will need to have at least one of the following features:
- Land containing substantially built development or which is fully enclosed by built form;
- Land which makes no or vey little contribution to preventing neighbouring towns from merging one another;
- Land which is dominated by urban land uses, including physical developments; and
- Land which contributes little to preserving the setting and special character of historic towns.
- The NPPF24 proposes a sequential approach to Green Belt release where previously developed land in the Green Belt would be considered first, then other Grey Belt sites, and in the last instance, higher performing Green Belt sites.
- The following golden rules would be applied to major developments on land released from the Green Belt – ensuring it benefits both communities and nature (new wording to be including within Paragraphs 147 and 155):
- At least 50% affordable housing, with an appropriate proportion of social rent – subject to viability (where a scheme proposes the provision of housing);
- Necessary improvements to local or national infrastructure; and
- The provision of new green public space or improvements to existing local publicly accessible green spaces.
The Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development
- The NPPF24 clarifies that the presumption will be applied where development plan policies relating to the supply of land are out of date;
- Additional wording has also been added to safeguard against the presumption being applied where it would produce poor quality design or adversely impact securing affordable housing.
Affordable Housing
- The NPPF24 removes the requirement to provide at least 10% affordable home ownership, instead encouraging a varied tenure mix which responds to local need;
- Local Authorities will need to set planning policies which identify the type of affordable housing required including a minimum proportion of Social Rent homes required.
Supporting New Infrastructure
- Significant weight is to be given to new, expanded, and upgraded public infrastructure in the determination of applications as it is seen as a key driver to economic growth;
- The “Infrastructure Levy” introduced by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 will be scrapped, and instead the Government will to look to ‘improve the existing system’, so changes are deemed likely.
Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has been leading the updates on the NPPF
Keen to Express Your Views?
If you would like to know more about the proposed changes to the NPPF or if you would like us to make written representations on your behalf to the MHCLG before the consultation deadline on the 24th September then please contact Chris Brown via email or telephone (02075561500).
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