On the 12th of December 2024, the UK Government released its plan to overhaul the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
We knew this was coming when the Labour party was elected however we weren’t 100% sure on the details.
We’ll look at the key points in this post.
UK government plans to build 1.5 million new homes in the next five years
The primary target of the planning overhaul is to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next 5 years.
This of course aligns with the period that labour will be in power. The Labour government has set itself an ambitious target considering the average additional net dwellings is just over 200k per year over the last 22-year period.
The result of the updated national policy framework means that the previous average will need to increase to around 370,00 per year.
Data available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/housing-supply-net-additional-dwellings-england-2023-to-2024
Mandatory house-building targets for councils
Local councils will be expected to deliver on house-building targets as set by the updated NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework).
We can have a look at some of the revised local authority targets for the West Midlands and East Midlands in the tables below.
West Midlands
| Local Authority Name | Previous Annual Target | Revised Annual Target |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 7174 | 4448 |
| Bromsgrove | 386 | 713 |
| Coventry | 3081 | 1388 |
| Dudley | 657 | 1462 |
| Herefordshire | 773 | 1363 |
| Solihull | 866 | 1323 |
East Midlands
| Local Authority Name | Previous Annual Target | Revised Annual Target |
|---|---|---|
| Ashfield | 446 | 535 |
| Derby | 1244 | 906 |
| Harborough | 510 | 723 |
| Hinckley and Bosworth | 432 | 649 |
| Leicester | 2435 | 1557 |
| Nottingham | 1845 | 1247 |
As you can see from the selected data above, targets in larger cities in the Midlands have been reduced. Smaller towns seem to be the target for the majority of the increases.
Full data sets are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-reforms-to-the-national-planning-policy-framework-and-other-changes-to-the-planning-system
New common-sense approach to greenbelt land
The government is also introducing a new common-sense approach to the greenbelt.
The Green Belt is a zone of land around cities and towns that is currently protected from development. According to the Government, the new approach will allow for some development on the green belt, but only where it is necessary.
It will be up to local authorities to review green belt boundaries and identify potential spots for development.
£100 million cash injection for councils
An injection of £100 million of cash next year to support local authorities in processing planning applications more efficiently was announced.
That injection of funds is intended to enable local authorities to hire more staff and consultants to aid with processing.
On the face of it, that is good news for the consumer. We will have to see how that plays out. We hope that will allow planning experts like ourselves to deliver faster results to customers.
Brownfield land development
Part of the updated plan will include the government looking into ways to make it easier and faster to build on brownfield land in cities, like old factory sites, by creating something called ‘brownfield passports’.
Brownfield land is land that has been previously developed, such as former industrial sites.
As always, brownfield land is a key source of new housing developments. Furthermore, the new measures will help to bring more of this land back into use.
Golden Rules
The government has issued a set of ‘Golden Rules’ alongside the NPPF update and they are as follows:
- Brownfield first
- Grey belt second
- Affordable homes
- Boost public services and infrastructure
- Improve genuine green spaces
Michelle Hill MRTPI
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