We were promised that the revised NPPF would be issued before the summer recess and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government always delivers.
The new document replaces the 2012 version which since its inception has been the subject of an incredible volume of interpretation by planners, inspectors, lawyers and the courts.
Announcing the launch of the revised NPPF the Secretary of State Rt Hon James Brokenshire revealed that there had been 29,244 responses to the consultation earlier this year including over 25,000 campaign responses. The Secretary of State describes the document as the “shared strategy for development in England”.
Not surprisingly – given that there is chronic national undersupply – housing is at the forefront of much of the rhetoric. Last year 271,000 homes were built – the most in the previous ten years. However, many more are needed to meet the government’s ambitious and widely published target of 300,000 homes by the mid-2020s.
The government wants to build more homes, more quickly and in the places where people want to live.
The revised NPPF introduces a housing delivery test to make sure that local planning authorities are not only identifying housing sites through their five year housing land supply but ensuring that these housing sites are being delivered. Failure to meet the delivery targets will result in the local planning authorities’ housing policies being considered ‘out of date’ which in turn introduces the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ – generally taken as a simpler, pro-development policy position.
We have had good look through the revised NNPF and highlight below some of the key points that are most relevant to the type of work we do here at Addis Town Planning. We have simply signposted other parts of the revised NPPF for ease of reference.
Highlights/bookmarks include:
- Specific reference to Written Ministerial Statements as material planning considerations (para 6)
- The presumption in favour of sustainable development (para 11)
- Highlighting the primacy of an up-to-date development plan (para 12)
- Encouraging (non-statutory) pre-application engagement with developers/communities/local planning authorities (para 39)
- Not using planning conditions to restrict national permitted development rights unless there is clear justification (para 53)
- Only use pre-commencement conditions where there is clear justification (para 55)
- Viability assessments should reflect the recommended approach in national planning guidance, including standardised inputs, and should be made publicly available (para 57)
- No affordable housing can be sought on non-major housing developments unless in a ‘designated rural area’ (para 63)
- A requirement for local planning authorities to identify 10% of their housing requirement on sites no larger than 1ha (para 68a)
- Use Local Development Orders to bring small sites forward (para 68b)
- Support windfall sites giving great weight to the benefits of using suitable sites within existing settlements for homes (para 68c)
- Work with developers to encourage the sub-division of large sites where this could help speed up the delivery of homes (para 68d)
- Support the development of entry-level exception sites in or adjacent to existing settlements (para 71)
- Housing development in smaller villages supporting nearby services (para 78)
- Ensuring the vitality of town centres (para 85)
- Promoting healthy and safe communities (para 91)
- Preventing the development of existing open space (para 97)
- Promoting sustainable transport (para 102)
- Addition of the term “unacceptable impact on highway safety” as a reason for refusal on highway safety grounds (para 109)
- Supporting high quality communications (para 112)
- Give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other identified needs (para 118c)
- Support using airspace above existing buildings for new homes – upward extensions where they fit in (para 118d)
- Requiring appropriate densities (para 123)
- Achieving high quality design (para 124)
- Protecting green belt land (para 133)
- Planning for climate change (para 148)
- The natural environment (para 170)
- Ground conditions and pollution (para 178)
- The historic environment (para 184)
- Minerals (para 203)
There are some big changes in the revised NPPF and many important clarifications. As ever the planning world never stands still and the importance of proper representation cannot be overstated.
If you have any questions relating to the above or think that the revised NPPF could impact on a development that you are involved with then please do not hesitate to get in touch with Daniel at Addis Town Planning: daniel@addistownplanning.co.uk or 01768 889 330.