Iestyn’s thoughts
Since the NPPF changes were announced in December 2024, how would you evaluate its effectiveness in accelerating housing delivery across local authorities, and does it support the Labour Government’s ambition of delivering 1.5 million new homes?
The new NPPF, with its more proactive position on housing numbers and on development within the ‘grey belt’ is undoubtedly having an impact. We are seeing more local authorities accepting they can’t meet housing targets and are taking a more positive view of well-designed, well-located schemes.
For similar reasons, the prospect of not being able to defend speculative schemes at appeal is having the effect of reinvigorating the development plan process in many areas, with local authorities accepting that they need to get their plan-making back on track. Needless to say, such changes are all creating opportunities for the development industry and for advisers such as us.
Overall, I would suggest that the NPPF is definitely pushing things in the right direction, but it will take a pragmatic approach from local authorities and the Planning Inspectorate to turn that ambition into real delivery on the ground.
What do you see as the most significant drawbacks or unintended consequences of the new NPPF?
Whilst the general effect of the NPPF has been positive, it has generated some unintended consequences. For example, some local authorities, faced with the need to plan for much increased housing provision, have felt it necessary to abandon work on their draft development plans completely in order to start afresh. Such tactics will create further delay within the system, something which runs somewhat counter to the Government’s plans. Whilst unwelcome, such circumstances may however have the benefit of creating opportunities to promote development in previously unidentified locations.
With social housing being emphasised more clearly in the NPPF, to what extent do you think this is addressing the broader affordability crisis?
It’s difficult to say at the moment. One of the major constraints on the delivery of affordable housing is scheme viability. Given high land values, long lead-in times and construction costs, my instinct is that downward pressures on the amount of social housing capable of being delivered within individual developments will remain.
However, with more housing coming forward as a result of the wider NPPF approach, the aggregate amount of social housing being delivered ought to increase and that can only be a good thing.
What impact do you anticipate the NPPF’s stronger support for modern economic infrastructure (e.g., labs, gigafactories) will have on regional growth and job creation?
There’s a pretty clear emphasis within the document on the need to plan for more modern infrastructure and this is very welcome. Over recent years, the focus of national policy has been on housing. So, there is a need to balance with this more economic growth, especially given wider macro-economic issues.
Looking ahead, local authorities will have to give greater weight to supporting this kind of growth, both in their plan-making and day to day decisions. Being involved in a number of such schemes already, I know that our clients are aware of the changed emphasis. They view it positively and expect local authority decision makers to pay regard to it in weighing the planning balance of their proposals.
