NPPF Consultation: Supporting SME Developers and Housing Delivery
Category
Bell Cornwell News
Date
1 April 2026
On 10 March 2026, the Government’s consultation on proposed revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) closed. The consultation sought views on a wide-ranging set of reforms, focused on strengthening the planning system’s ability to deliver sustainable development, particularly in relation to housing supply.
Bell Cornwell submitted a formal response to the consultation, engaging with the proposed changes and their implications for our clients. A central theme of our response is the role of SME developers and the importance of creating a planning framework that better supports their contribution to housing delivery.
The scope of the consultation reflects a clear ambition: to refine national planning policy so that it more effectively supports growth, improves decision-making, and accelerates the delivery of new homes and commercial uses.
Importantly, the revised NPPF should be viewed not simply as a policy update, but as a key economic tool. The planning system plays a fundamental role in shaping the pace and scale of development, influencing investor confidence, and determining how quickly both housing and employment space can come forward. In this respect, national policy will have a direct bearing on the UK’s ability to deliver growth over the coming years.
Over recent decades, the structure of the housebuilding industry has shifted significantly. SME developers – once responsible for around 40% of housing delivery – now account for approximately 10-12%.
This decline has had clear consequences. A more concentrated market has reduced competition, limited innovation, and constrained the sector’s ability to respond flexibly to local housing needs. For many of our clients, this is reflected in the practical challenges of navigating the planning system, accessing suitable sites, and delivering viable schemes.
The consultation’s emphasis on SME developers is therefore both timely and necessary, recognising that a more diverse development sector is essential to increasing overall delivery.
The implications of the revised NPPF extend well beyond housing numbers. The planning system underpins the delivery of both homes and employment space, and as such plays a critical role in shaping economic growth. The draft also seeks to strengthen opportunities for existing and new businesses to invest, expand and adapt in order drive economic growth and increase job generation. It places a particular emphasis on providing support for businesses which align with the Government’s Industrial Strategy such as those which serve the clean energy, creative, defence and digital technology business sectors.
An effective planning framework can accelerate the delivery of development, helping to address housing shortages that constrain labour mobility and affordability. At the same it can support the timely provision of commercial and industrial space, enabling businesses to expand and invest with confidence.
There is a clear link between housing delivery, job creation, and economic performance. Construction activity supports a wide range of industries, while new development generates longer-term employment opportunities. If the planning system functions effectively, it can act as a catalyst for growth, if it does not, it risks becoming a constraint.
While the direction of travel is encouraging, the effectiveness of the proposed changes will depend on how they are implemented in practice.
From our experience advising SME developers, several considerations are critical:
Without progress in these areas, the ambition to increase SME participation, and in turn boost housing delivery, may be difficult to realise.
Our response to the consultation supports the Government’s intention to strengthen the role of SME developers within the planning system.
We recognise the importance of policy reform in unlocking housing delivery and supporting economic growth, while also creating a more diverse and resilient development sector. At the same time, we have emphasised the need for practical, deliverable solutions that reflect the realities faced by SME developers on the ground.
The proposed revisions to the NPPF represent an important opportunity to reset the planning framework in a way that better supports housing and commercial delivery across all scales of development.
If implemented effectively, the changes have the potential to significantly increase housing supply, improve market diversity, and support long-term economic growth and employment. For SME developers in particular, the consultation signals a positive shift – one that could help address long-standing barriers and create a more level playing field.
At Bell Cornwell, we will continue to monitor the progress of these reforms and advise our clients on how best to respond to the evolving policy landscape.
If you would like to discuss how the proposed NPPF changes may affect your projects or land interests, please get in touch with our team.
The Bell Cornwell team provides tailored advice to help you maximise your chances of success, from site selection and design coordination to planning applications and post-permission requirements. If you want expert planning support, get in touch with our team.
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Ryan Snow joined Bell Cornwell in January 2023 and is a Senior Associate based in our Hampshire office. Ryan provides clients with guidance on all stages of the planning process, from initial appraisals ad strategy discussions, through to managing applications and appearing at Public Inquiries. Much of his work has been within the Homes Counties and often involves the Green Belt, National Landscapes or isolated locations, where a more strategic, phased approach is required to maximise the development potential of a site.
