On Tuesday 24 July, the government published its long-awaited revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Thrings solicitor Fred Quartermain reviews the new framework which represents the most significant change in central government planning policy for six years.
looking for something in particular? search our site
Services
- Agriculture
- Commercial
- Commercial Property
- Charity Property
- Commercial and industrial property
- Construction and engineering
- Corporate occupiers
- Dilapidations
- Environment
- Getting Planning Permission
- Healthcare
- Leasehold reform
- Leisure
- Licensing
- Pension fund property
- Property insolvency
- Property litigation
- Property portfolio management
- Residential developers and landowners
- Retail commercial property
- Strategic land, option and promotion agreements
Commercial Property
- Corporate
- Banking finance and secured lending
- Company secretarial
- Corporate restructure and reorganisation
- Dissolution and solvent winding up
- Dissolution, Restoration and Vesting
- Equity capital markets
- Joint ventures
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Private capital raising
- Restructuring and finance
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Shareholder and investor agreements
Corporate
- Disputes
- Agriculture and food industry disputes
- Construction and engineering disputes
- Corporate and commercial
- Criminal and regulatory
- Debt collection
- Employment disputes and tribunals
- Gangmasters investigations
- Insolvency disputes
- Intellectual property disputes
- Mediation and advocacy
- Professional negligence
- Property litigation
- Wills, inheritance and trust disputes
Disputes
- Employment Law
- Business restructures and outsourcing
- Employment Disputes and Tribunals
- Employment Law and Immigration for Individuals
- Employment Law Training
- Equality and Diversity in the Workplace
- HR ADVISORY SERVICES
- HR Online Services and Retainer - Thrings@Work
- Immigration Solicitors
- Thrings HR Consultancy
Employment Law
- Family
- International
- Private Client
- Residential Property
- The Business of Brexit
Services
- Agriculture & Food
- Commercial
- Commercial Property
- Charity Property
- Commercial and industrial property
- Construction and engineering
- Corporate occupiers
- Dilapidations
- Environment
- Getting Planning Permission
- Healthcare
- Leasehold reform
- Leisure
- Licensing
- Pension fund property
- Property insolvency
- Property litigation
- Property portfolio management
- Residential developers and landowners
- Retail commercial property
- Strategic land, option and promotion agreements
- Corporate
- Banking finance and secured lending
- Company secretarial
- Corporate restructure and reorganisation
- Dissolution and solvent winding up
- Dissolution, Restoration and Vesting
- Equity capital markets
- Joint ventures
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Private capital raising
- Restructuring and finance
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Shareholder and investor agreements
- Disputes
- Agriculture and food industry disputes
- Construction and engineering disputes
- Corporate and commercial
- Criminal and regulatory
- Debt collection
- Employment disputes and tribunals
- Gangmasters investigations
- Insolvency disputes
- Intellectual property disputes
- Mediation and advocacy
- Professional negligence
- Property litigation
- Wills, inheritance and trust disputes
- Employment & Immigration
- Family
- International
- Private Client
- Residential Property
- The Business of Brexit
Sectors
Home
Government publishes new National Planning Policy Framework
Whilst substantially similar to March’s consultation draft, there have been some changes made to the NPPF to reflect the responses that were received, particularly around small sites, and the use of viability arguments at application stage.
The new NPPF includes a focus on design, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said, promising that building “attractive and better-designed homes in areas where they are needed” is at “the centre” of the new NPPF.
“The new rules will also make it easier for councils to challenge poor quality and unattractive development, and give communities a greater voice about how developments should look and feel,” the statement said.
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire, said: “Fundamental to building the homes our country needs is ensuring that our planning system is fit for the future.
“This revised planning framework sets out our vision of a planning system that delivers the homes we need. I am clear that quantity must never compromise the quality of what is built, and this is reflected in the new rules.”
From November 2018 councils will be subject to a Housing Delivery Test, which is focused on the numbers of homes delivered in their area, rather than how many are planned for. This will penalise councils that under-deliver over three years by triggering the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
The framework also aims to provide further protection for biodiversity by aligning the planning system more closely with Defra’s 25-year environment plan. It stresses greater importance on air quality when deciding applications and offers more protection for ancient woodland and trees.
In addition, revised Planning Practice Guidance, details on the Housing Delivery Test, and the government’s approach to viability testing were published.
The revised document replaces the previous NPPF (published in March 2012). The policies in the new NPPF are material considerations which should be taken into account in dealing with any live planning applications from the day of its publication.
The full NPPF document can be accessed here.
For further commentary on how changes to the NPPF may affect you, or to discuss any planning-related issue, please contact Fred Quartermain or another member of Thrings’ Planning team.