With Gove’s document outlining how the government intends to change national planning policy promised in the next few weeks, Senior Planner Rachel Lea anticipates what this could include.

Housing secretary Michael Gove recently announced that a revised National Planning Policy Framework will be published in July. Since the announcement this statement has been amended to say that this will instead be a document outlining how the government intends to change national planning policy.

Gove has stated that this document “will say significantly more about how we can drive improved environmental outcomes.” This point came in response to a question about why a net-zero test was not included within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

We also anticipate that topics to be addressed in the forthcoming document will be:

• Refocussing of the NPPF on principles to guide plan-making and the creation of National Development Management Policies to guide decision-making
• Reconsidering current tests on local plan soundness at examination
• Scrapping the requirement for councils to maintain a five year housing land supply if a local plan has been adopted within the past five years
• Strengthening the protection of the historic environment
• Pursuing options to make the green belt greener

We would like to see something in the NPPF about social value, which is becoming an increasingly important part of the planning process, whether it be from providing sports pitches in the right location or buildings that are adaptable to change.

What does this mean for our clients?

At this stage, not much, the devil will be in detail. The increased focus on environmental outcomes is unlikely to come as a surprise and many or our London-based clients are already striving to meet these targets. It will certainly be interesting to see more detail on the National Development Management Policies and how these will work alongside Local Plan policies in the absence of local distinctiveness – will they just be an additional layer of policy that developers will need to navigate?

Newsteer will be monitoring for the publishing of the document and will be on hand to respond to any queries you may have. Watch this space!