Caroline McDade
Senior Director, National Head of Planning
Senior Director, National Head of Planning
One of the major revisions includes enhancing the focus on sustainable development, which encourages housing growth while ensuring environmental protections. The revisions also seek to give local authorities more control over setting housing targets based on local needs and conditions, reducing reliance on centrally determined targets.
Another significant change is the emphasis on design quality and community engagement, with new guidelines ensuring that developments reflect local character and provide sufficient infrastructure. The framework also introduces more rigorous climate resilience measures, requiring new buildings to meet higher environmental standards.
Additionally, the NPPF aims to streamline decision-making processes, reducing delays in planning applications. This is intended to promote quicker delivery of new housing projects while balancing the need for thoughtful urban planning.
These revisions reflect the government’s goal of delivering a planning system that supports economic growth, environmental sustainability, and community well-being. The new framework is part of a broader effort to modernise planning in line with changing market conditions and societal priorities.
Read Everything you Need to Know About Proposed National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Revisions.