The government has released a consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), introducing significant changes to the planning system. These reforms aim to streamline the planning process, deliver more homes, and support sustainable development. The consultation is open for comments until 10th March 2026.
At Chapman Lily Planning, we are here to help you understand these changes and their potential impact on your land and development interests.
Here are the headline changes you need to be aware of:
- A Permanent Presumption in Favour of Suitably Located Development: This change, underpinned by the overarching Policy S3 (Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development), introduces a “brownfield passport” system. Policy S4 (Principle of Development Within Settlements) builds on the December 2024 Framework update, making it easier to develop on previously used land by granting a permanent presumption in favour of development in appropriate locations. This approach is designed to fast-track the development of suitable sites and make the approval process for urban land more predictable.
- Building Homes Around Stations: A “default yes” is proposed for suitable developments around railway stations. This applies to land within existing settlements and around well-connected stations outside of settlements, including on Green Belt land. The proposal includes a minimum density of 40 dwellings per hectare around all stations and 50 dwellings per hectare around well-connected stations, aiming to maximise sustainable development and create high density, transport-oriented communities.
- Driving Urban and Suburban Densification: The revised framework places a strong emphasis on making the most of land in urban and suburban areas. This includes encouraging the redevelopment of corner plots and other low density sites, as well as promoting upward extensions and infill development within residential curtilages. These changes are intended to support higher density development in sustainable locations with good access to services, leading to an overall increase in the density of settlements.
- Securing a Diverse Mix of Homes: There will be a stronger focus on supporting the needs of different groups through the planning system. This includes stronger support for rural social and affordable housing, and setting clearer expectations for accessible housing to meet the needs of older and disabled people.
- Supporting Small and Medium Sites: The government wants to make it easier to bring forward small sites, with clear support for the principle of development in different locations. This includes a more streamlined and proportionate planning system.
- Streamlining Local Standards: This change aims to promote certainty for applicants and speed up local plan production by limiting quantitative standards in development plans to only those specific issues where local variation is justified.
- Boosting Local and Regional Economies: The government wants to encourage economic growth by giving substantial weight to the benefits of supporting business growth and to particular areas and sectors – including those named in the Industrial Strategy, AI Growth Zones, logistics, town centres and agricultural and rural development.
- Supporting Critical and Growth Minerals: This change will ensure that adequate provision is made for their extraction, recognising their economic importance. In parallel, and in view of the government’s mission to achieve clean power by 2030, the government wants to restrict further the extraction of coal.
- Embedding a Vision-Led Approach to Transport: The government wants to further embed the changes made in December 2024, which signalled the importance of moving away from a ‘predict and provide’ approach to transport planning that can create unattractive environments dominated by cars.
- Better Addressing Climate Change: The government wants to set out how decisions can take a proactive approach to both mitigation and adaptation in relation to climate change, in a way that links to other relevant policies in the draft Framework.
- Conserving and Enhancing the Natural Environment: The government wants to make a number of changes, including to reflect Local Nature Recovery Strategies, to recognise landscape character and conserve and enhance existing natural features, to incorporate swift bricks and to provide guidance on sites of local importance for nature.
- Taking a More Positive Approach to the Use of Heritage Assets: The government wants a clearer and more positive approach which can better support suitable heritage-related development, replacing the current policies that are difficult to navigate.
How We Can Help
The planning system is in a state of flux, and these proposed changes will have a significant impact on landowners and developers.
Our experienced team at Chapman Lily Planning can provide you with tailored advice on how these changes might affect your specific interests. Contact us today for a confidential discussion on 01929 553818 or email in at contact@clplanning.co.uk.
