The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) serves as a comprehensive guide to planning policy in England. Published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, it plays a crucial role in shaping the built environment and guiding sustainable development. This article provides a detailed understanding of the NPPF, its core principles, and its implications for various stakeholders.

Introduction

The NPPF outlines the government’s planning policies for England and how they should be applied. It provides a framework for local planning authorities and developers to create sustainable development that balances economic, social, and environmental considerations. The NPPF covers a wide range of topics, including housing, the economy, business, transport, and the natural environment. It is important to note that while the NPPF provides this general framework, more specific policies exist for certain types of development. For example, the government also has planning policies for traveler sites and waste management, which should be considered alongside the NPPF when relevant.

Key Points of the NPPF

The NPPF emphasises economic growth as a core objective of planning policy. It aims to streamline the planning system and introduce a “presumption in favour of sustainable development” for applications, as long as they do not conflict with the NPPF as a whole. The NPPF promotes development, not only in terms of housing but also in areas like employment (especially hi-tech), renewable energy, and infrastructure. It encourages a proactive approach to planning and aims to make the planning system more responsive to changing economic conditions.

Some of the key principles of the NPPF include: 

• Presumption in favour of sustainable development: Development that is sustainable should be approved without delay.
• Plan-led system: Planning decisions should be guided by up-to-date local plans.
• Empowering local people: Communities should have a say in shaping their surroundings.
• High-quality design and standards: Development should be well-designed and meet high standards.

Purpose of the NPPF

The NPPF aims to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. This includes providing homes, commercial development, and supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. The NPPF guides planning decisions in England by:

• Providing a framework for local plans: Local planning authorities use the NPPF to create local plans that set out a vision for their area.
• Setting out national planning policies: The NPPF provides guidance on various aspects of planning, such as housing, the economy, and the environment.
• Promoting sustainable development: The NPPF encourages development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Involving local communities: The NPPF supports community involvement in the planning process through neighbourhood planning.
• Providing further guidance through National Policy Statements: These statements offer more detailed guidance on specific types of development, such as major infrastructure projects.

Sustainable Development in the NPPF

The NPPF places sustainable development at the heart of the planning system. It defines sustainable development as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This concept is rooted in the three overarching objectives of economic growth, social progress, and environmental protection. However, these objectives can sometimes be in conflict. For example, the drive for economic growth may lead to proposals for development that have negative environmental impacts. The NPPF attempts to balance these potentially conflicting objectives by promoting development that is both economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

The NPPF promotes sustainable development by:

• Introducing a presumption in favour of sustainable development: This means that development that is sustainable should be approved without delay.
• Requiring plans to promote a sustainable pattern of development: This includes meeting development needs, aligning growth and infrastructure, improving the environment, and mitigating climate change.
• Encouraging the use of a sequential test: This involves considering brownfield land first, then ‘grey belt’ land, and finally higher-performing Green Belt land.
• Protecting areas of particular importance: This includes Green Belt land, National Landscapes, and heritage assets.

Core Planning Principles in the NPPF

While the NPPF does not explicitly list 12 core planning principles, it emphasises three overarching objectives for sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental. These objectives are interdependent and should be pursued in mutually supportive ways².

Economic Objective: To build a strong, responsive, and competitive economy by ensuring sufficient land is available to support growth, innovation, and productivity. It also aims to identify and coordinate the provision of infrastructure.

Social Objective: To support strong, vibrant, and healthy communities by providing enough homes to meet the needs of present and future generations. It also promotes well-designed, beautiful, and safe places with accessible services and open spaces that support communities’ health, social, and cultural well-being.

Environmental Objective: To protect and enhance the natural, built, and historic environment. This includes making effective use of land, improving biodiversity, using natural resources prudently, minimising waste and pollution, and mitigating and adapting to climate change.

In addition to these objectives, the NPPF highlights the importance of: 

• Proactive planning: Plan-making and decision-taking should be proactive and creative, seeking to drive and support sustainable development.
• Contextual development: Planning should take into account the diverse character of different areas, ensuring that development is appropriate for its context.
• Climate action: Planning should support the transition to a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy, mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects.
• Brownfield first: Planning should encourage the effective use of land, prioritising the use of brownfield land for development.
• Mixed-use development: Planning should encourage mixed-use development, creating vibrant and diverse communities.
• Heritage conservation: Planning should conserve heritage assets, protecting and enhancing the historic environment.
• Sustainable transport: Planning should maximise the use of sustainable transport modes, such as public transport, walking, and cycling.
• Well-being: Planning should support the health, social, and cultural well-being of communities.

Protecting the Natural Environment

The NPPF emphasises the importance of protecting the natural environment and promoting biodiversity. It does this by:

• Requiring that plans contribute to conserving and enhancing the natural environment: This includes protecting and enhancing biodiversity, using natural resources prudently, minimising waste and pollution, and mitigating and adapting to climate change.
• Giving great weight to conserving landscape and scenic beauty: National Landscapes have the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty.
• Promoting green infrastructure: This includes tree-lined streets, green spaces, and sustainable drainage systems.
• Requiring that development avoids or minimizes impacts on biodiversity: Where significant harm cannot be avoided, appropriate mitigation measures should be taken.
• Protecting National Landscapes: The NPPF generally protects National Landscapes from major development. However, it acknowledges that development may be allowed in exceptional circumstances where it can be demonstrated to be in the public interest.
• Building water infrastructure resilience and promoting food security: The NPPF recognises the importance of these aspects of environmental sustainability and encourages planning policies that support them.

Grey Belt Land

The NPPF introduces the concept of “grey belt” land, which refers to areas within the Green Belt that do not contribute significantly to the Green Belt’s purposes. This land may include previously developed land or areas that are of lower environmental quality. The NPPF allows for development on grey belt land to help meet housing and other development needs while still protecting the essential functions of the Green Belt.

However, development on grey belt land is subject to strict conditions known as the “golden rules.” These rules require that such development: 

• Provides necessary infrastructure: This includes essential community facilities such as nurseries, GP surgeries, and transport links.
• Delivers affordable housing: A significant portion of new housing on grey belt land must be affordable.
• Includes green space: Developments must provide or enhance existing green spaces that are accessible to the public.

The introduction of grey belt land represents a shift in the approach to Green Belt development, allowing for greater flexibility in meeting housing needs while still protecting the environment.

Housing Growth and the NPPF

The NPPF promotes housing growth by:

• Setting mandatory housing targets: Local authorities are required to meet their identified housing needs.
• Introducing a new Standard Method for assessing housing need: This method uses existing housing stock numbers to calculate housing need, leading to increased housing targets in many areas. This method also includes an “affordability multiplier” that ensures that housing growth is focused on areas with the least affordable housing.
• Requiring a five-year housing land supply: Local authorities must identify a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites.
• Supporting denser residential developments in urban areas: This helps to make more efficient use of land¹⁹.
• Expanding the definition of brownfield land: This includes large areas of fixed surface infrastructure and hardstanding, making more land available for development.
• Supporting the government’s commitment to building 1.5 million homes: The NPPF’s housing policies are designed to contribute to this ambitious target.

Economic Growth and the NPPF

The NPPF supports economic growth by:

• Promoting a pro-growth planning policy framework: This encourages development that supports economic growth, innovation, and productivity.
• Identifying priority areas for economic regeneration and infrastructure provision: This helps to direct investment to areas where it is most needed.
• Supporting existing and new economic sectors: This includes planning for new industries and technologies.
• Supporting the development of renewable energy: This includes identifying suitable areas for renewable and low-carbon energy development²⁰.
• Supporting the provision of public service infrastructure: The NPPF recognises the importance of public service infrastructure, such as roads, health facilities, and digital infrastructure, in supporting economic growth and community well-being.

Climate Change and the NPPF

The NPPF addresses climate change by:

• Requiring plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change: This includes taking into account flood risk, coastal change, and other climate impacts.
• Promoting energy efficiency: This includes encouraging the use of renewable energy and low-carbon technologies.
• Supporting sustainable transport: This includes prioritising walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Requiring the consideration of climate change in planning applications: This includes assessing the full range of potential climate change impacts.
• Supporting the UK’s net-zero targets: The NPPF’s emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation is crucial in achieving these targets.

Community Involvement in Planning

The NPPF emphasises the role of communities in the planning process. It encourages community involvement through:

• Neighbourhood planning: Communities can create neighbourhood plans to shape development in their area.
• Community Right to Build Orders: Communities can grant planning permission for developments through Community Right to Build Orders.
• Pre-application engagement: Developers are encouraged to engage with the local community before submitting planning applications.
• Community-led development: The NPPF supports community-led initiatives, including affordable and self-build housing, as well as renewable energy and low-carbon projects.

NPPF in Practice

The NPPF’s principles are applied in a variety of real-world planning scenarios. For example, the NPPF’s emphasis on sustainable development has been used to justify the approval of developments that prioritise brownfield land over greenfield sites. The NPPF’s support for community involvement has led to the creation of numerous neighborhood plans that give local communities a greater say in shaping their surroundings.

Recent Updates and Proposed Changes

The NPPF has undergone several recent updates, including:

• Mandatory housing targets: The government has reintroduced mandatory housing targets for local authorities, reversing previous changes that made these targets advisory. This change aims to increase housing supply and address the housing crisis.
• Grey belt land: A new category of land called ‘grey belt’ has been introduced, which allows for development on lower-quality areas within the Green Belt. This change aims to provide more land for development while still protecting the essential functions of the Green Belt.
• Green belt development golden rules: Major developments within the Green Belt (including grey belt land) must now comply with ‘golden rules’ regarding affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and green spaces. These rules aim to ensure that development on Green Belt land delivers significant benefits for local communities.
• Affordable housing tenure: The NPPF now places more emphasis on social rent housing, aiming to increase the supply of affordable housing for those in greatest need.

The government is also considering further planning reforms, including:

• Planning Reform Working Paper: Planning Committees: This proposes changes to streamline the decision-making process, potentially making it faster and more efficient to determine planning applications.
• Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery: This sets out proposals for dealing with issues such as nutrient neutrality, which can impact development in certain areas¹⁵.
• English Devolution White Paper: Power and Partnership: This proposes to restructure local government in England, potentially giving local authorities greater control over planning decisions.
• Compulsory Purchase Process and Compensation Reforms: This relates to reform of the CPO process, which can be used to acquire land for development. These reforms aim to make the CPO process more efficient and fair.

Conclusion

The National Planning Policy Framework provides a comprehensive guide to planning in England. It promotes sustainable development by seeking to balance economic, social, and environmental considerations. The NPPF encourages community involvement in the planning process through mechanisms such as neighbourhood planning and pre-application engagement. It addresses important issues such as housing, the economy, the environment, and climate change, aiming to create a more sustainable and prosperous future for England.

The NPPF has undergone several recent updates and the government is considering further planning reforms. These changes and proposals reflect the evolving needs and priorities of society and the ongoing efforts to improve the planning system. While the NPPF has been praised for its focus on sustainable development and community involvement, it has also faced criticism for its potential to lead to increased development in sensitive areas and for not going far enough to address issues such as climate change.

The future direction of planning policy in England will likely involve further efforts to balance the need for development with the protection of the environment and to ensure that planning decisions are made in a way that is both efficient and democratic. The NPPF will continue to play a central role in shaping this future.