The NPPF has landed. Again. What does it mean locally?  

Picture this: a new Government which wants to build homes, a fantastic dream which – at least in policy terms – is fast becoming a reality. But the Deputy Prime Minister does recognise that the “radical” reform needed is “not without controversy”. She is not wrong.  

Hot on the heels of Rachel Reeves’ Speech on Monday, the King’s Speech and numerous high-profile interviews, we now have a new more pro-growth NPPF out for consultation with adoption planned for late September.  

Getting some of the basics out of the way, in her speech Angela Rayner covered some of the provisions in the forthcoming Planning & Infrastructure Bill and the updated NPPF:  

• Housing targets will be mandatory using a new Standard Method which better reflects the urgency of supply in individual local authority areas 

• The new method will include a stronger affordability ratio driver and the removal of the clause about previous oversupply in an area – meaning a combined target of 370,000 new homes per year  

• The London housing requirement will come down due to the removal of the 35% urban uplift – to around 80,000 per year  

• There will be a requirement placed on councils to review their green belts when insufficient brownfield land for homes is available, with ‘grey belt’ land coming first

• Green and grey belt sites coming forward will require 50% Affordable Housing and infrastructure  

• A definition of what constitutes grey belt land will be published 

• The need for councils, housing associations and other providers to deliver genuinely affordable homes – changes will be delivered through increased Government investment, changes to borrowing rules and rent stability 

• Homes England’s funding will be made more flexible to support housing delivery 

• All authorities will need to have a Local Plan in place – there will be an end to changes to planning policy which have stalled Plan making and a commitment to the Government stepping in where authorities fail to deliver 

• Transitional arrangements will be consulted on but will reflect the point each authority has reached in the Local Plan process 

• Easier means to deliver major infrastructure 

• 13-week Ministerial decision-making target to be measured  

There will be many technical evaluations of the proposals in draft NPPF in coming weeks both supporting and criticizing the changes. But what do they mean for promoters and builders on the ground?  

Certainly, the policy backing created by the new documents will help the technical case, but it seems unlikely that communities which are often weary of development will suddenly welcome new homes. Indeed, we have already seen the Leader of East Hampshire write to Angela Rayner about the green belt and national park restrictions which, he argues, are a reason that the authority cannot deliver on its existing targets.  

The policy also provides a sharp dividing line with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats have recently gone on record advocating a no green belt development line (which may or may not work with their manifesto commitment to 380,000 new homes a year). As many green belt authorities are now held by opposition parties at council level, there is a collision on the way – with the Government needing to lean on the Planning Inspectorate to decide where councillors can’t.  

It is certainly true that communities are already feeling the pressure of development across the whole of England and are raising strongly held concerns about the lack of infrastructure which they want to come with it. The consultation draft of the NPPF certainly does not solve that problem, and as Rachel Reeves has sought to establish, there is even less Government money than previously thought to fix the existing holes in the roof.  

Moreover, rural and suburban communities will have issues with the seeming reduction in housing requirement in cities as the urban uplift rules are reviewed, creating another fracture point.  

So, what to do?  

Developers should be closely considering their infrastructure offer when or before buying sites and seeking to understand what is needed locally to unlock development through the earliest possible engagement. It may be that the skatepark required by council policy could become a rewilding area, or forest school. There needs to be flexibility of thought and – more importantly – a willingness to listen and respond. Those who get it right will be rewarded – new NPPF or not. 

No doubt we will hear a lot more about the new NPPF over the coming weeks and it will be interesting to see whether Labour will make any changes to the consultation draft. But be under no illusion, this Government means to build.  

To find out more, or for help with unlocking your site, don’t hesitate to get in touch with [email protected].