Yesterday, the Labour Government formally adopted the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2024), marking a significant overhaul of England’s planning system.

Some of the key reforms include changes to the Standard Method for calculating housing need, which is likely to result in an increased housing requirement for many Local Planning Authorities and an increase in mandatory housing building targets from 300,000 per year to 370,000 per year.

Perhaps the most significant reform is the introduction of the ‘Grey Belt’ policy, a subset within the Green Belt land designation. Subject to compliance with specific conditions, land that meets the ‘Grey Belt’ definition may now be developed without being deemed as ‘inappropriate’. Together with the introduction of Grey Belt is the associated ‘Golden Rules’, which set out specific requirements for developments on Grey Belt land.

We anticipate that Local Planning Authorities will now spend the next few months reviewing their housing land supply, and those who are already working on new local plans will likely seek to progress to submission to the Secretary of State prior to the end of the transitional arrangements. Draft and submitted Local Plans must, however, meet at least 80% of their new housing target under the revised standard method to remain compliant.

We will be monitoring the rollout of NPPF 2024 and its implications for our clients, particularly in plan-making, housing delivery, and land-use strategy. If you want to know how the changes to the NPPF may impact your development, get in touch.