Government Publishes NPPF

Government Publishes the National Planning Policy Framework (and more!)

The DLUHC has at last published the revised National Planning Policy Framework.

There is a searchable version here with supportive planning guidance here.

At the launch speech at the RIBA, Mr Gove also announced an expert panel review of London’s housebuilding performance led by Christopher Katkowski KC to report by January 15, 2024 – see here.

For the sector’s initial reactions see here and comments from Clive Betts MP, the Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee are here.

For review simplicity please see a comparison of the text of the September 2023 and the December 2023 versions of the NPPF here.  It includes:

• Reference to planning for First Homes which would be bad for London and were rejected as a policy by Sadiq Khan when originally proposed by DHCLG;
• New references to four or five year housing supply and a new paragraph 226 on that subject;
• Paragraph 15 now requires Local Plans to meet housing needs, rather than be a framework for ‘addressing’ them;
• Key changes in Section 5 for ‘Delivering a sufficient supply of homes’ with an appropriate mix of housing types, the use of the ‘Standard Method’ for housing requirement and the imposition of a 35% uplift in housing targets for 20 cities including London;
• New requirements to identify sites for community-led development.  That emphasis has resulted in the removal of the policy in the September 2023 NPPF for support for entry-level exception sites suitable for first time buyers, or those looking to rent their first home;
• Changes to the requirement for a 5%, 10% or 20% buffer for the supply of specific deliverable sites in paragraphs 75 onwards;
• The words ‘beauty’ and ‘attractive’ have multiple insertions into the NPPF;
• A new section in paragraph 124 (e) for planning policies and decisions to allow mansard roof extensions;
• Paragraph 130 introduces the policy that significant uplifts in urban density may be inappropriate if out of character with the existing area, based on design codes;
• A strengthened paragraph 140 on planning conditions to identify any beaches of planning control;
• Green Belt boundaries in paragraph 145 have no requirement for review or change in new plans;
• A new paragraph 164 requiring LPAs to give weight in decisions to energy efficiency and low carbon heating; and
• A Glossary with additional entries for community-led development and for mansard roofs.