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What could the (latest) NPPF updates mean for your Neighbourhood Plan?

Becky Hopkinson

Updated: Oct 10, 2024



Within days of the change in Political leadership, Labour announced their plans to ‘rebuild Britain’, starting with reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).


The new Government has stated that ‘sustained economic growth’ is the route to improving the prosperity of Britain and their approach to delivering this growth will largely focus on reforming the planning system. The outcome from this will be to ensure that Local Plans support the Government’s manifesto commitment of delivering 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament.


 To support the Government's ’Get Britain Building’ manifesto, Local Authorities will be given mandatory local housing targets, totalling over 370,000 new homes a year. 


In a letter to all local authorities in July, the Deputy Prime Minister said ‘In the absence of a plan, development will come forward on a piecemeal basis, with much less public engagement and fewer guarantees that it is the best outcome for your communities.’

In addition, the new Government are proposing a new ‘presumption in favour of development’ which will mean ‘the default answer to brownfield development should be yes’.


Added to this, the creation of ‘grey belt’ (land which makes a ‘limited contribution to the five Green Belt purposes’) opens up the opportunity for communities to identify areas for housing which suit their local community. The changes also emphasise the importance of the location and the design of development.


Whilst the NPPF reforms may not explicitly make any reference to amending Neighbourhood Plans, there can be no doubt that the knock-on effects could be extensive.


Many Local Plans, whether they are adopted or are currently being updated have started to include specific Neighbourhood Plan policies which identify the housing requirement for individual areas. Whilst the temptation may be to bury your head in the sand and decide not to write a neighbourhood plan-believing this will solve the issue of having to battle with NIMBY's about building homes in their patch of England's green and pleasant lands-the stark reality is that homes need to be built and Neighbourhood Plans provide the best (& possibly only) way of ensuring new development not only delivers what the local community needs, but also protects and conserves the individual characteristics which make your neighbourhood unique.


Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area.


Through a Neighbourhood Plan, communities can choose where they want new homes, shops & offices to be built, identify important green spaces, capture what is distinctive about your neighbourhood, and create many other policies which ensure the characteristics which identify your parish as individual  are preserved.



We are Plan-ET (Evolving Together)! Liz and Becky have been working with Neighbourhood Plan steering groups since 2011. We work with a number of associates, who we turn to when needed, such as professional mappers or planning solicitors. Between us and our associates, we have seen over 25 Neighbourhood Plans through to completion. We are passionate about ensuring your neighbourhood plan reflects what is needed in your area, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' and we enjoy working out how to achieve what you want through innovative policy!


Contact us to discuss how we could help your town or village create a Neighbourhood Plan which works for you.

 


 

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