Proposed reforms and changes to the planning system

Last week the government announced plans to overhaul the planning system and increase housebuilding. These include introducing mandatory planning targets to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, updating the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to bring back mandatory housing targets, ensuring every area has a local plan and building the next generation of new towns. Among the proposals in the eight week consultation on the NPPF are restoring mandatory housing targets and updating the method used to calculate them, not implementing the Infrastructure Levy as introduced in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, introducing the concept of grey belt into green belt considerations, changing affordable housing and mix policy, refocusing design policy on good design rather than ‘beauty’, and no changes to neighbourhood planning. We will be responding to the NPPF consultation as well as seeking engagement with the New Towns Taskforce.