Government consults on new NPPF: five key changes

The government has launched a consultation on the most significant rewrite of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) since its introduction more than a decade ago.

The new NPPF aims to be clearer, more rules-based and easier to navigate by separating policies for plan-making and decision-making. To make an immediate impact, the government is proposing that new national decision-making policies override conflicting local plan policies from day one.

The consultation runs until 10 March 2026, with the new NPPF expected to take effect shortly after. Five of the key changes are outlined below.

1. Enhanced presumption in favour of sustainable development

The new NPPF introduces a permanent presumption in favour of suitably located development, applying in a much wider range of circumstances. Within settlement boundaries, the presumption applies to all development proposals unless “harms would substantially outweigh the benefits” (Policy S4).

Outside settlements, the presumption applies to specific development types (Policy S5). These include cases where there’s no five-year housing land supply or Housing Delivery Test scores fall below 75% under the current NPPF. It also includes new housing and mixed-use sites within reasonable walking distance of railway stations. The government sees well-connected stations as a way to maximise opportunities for sustainable development, making the most of high connectivity and improving access to jobs and services.

2. Strategic planning

The new NPPF supports forthcoming strategic planning authorities with plan-making policies for preparing a spatial development strategy. It sets out four tests that ‘sound’ spatial development strategies must satisfy (Policy PM14):

• Set out a positive approach to delivering growth, meeting the area’s objectively assessed needs as a minimum
• Provide an appropriate strategy for sustainable development, considering reasonable alternatives, the 10 Year Infrastructure Plan, the National Industrial Strategy and any relevant Local Growth Plan
• Include effective policies for development, with a reasonable prospect that local plans can identify site allocations to implement the strategy
• Align with the policies for plan-making in the NPPF and other national planning statements.

Sound local plans must also satisfy these four tests and a fifth: general conformity with any adopted special development strategy for the area.

3. National model planning conditions and obligations

The government is proposing national model conditions and planning obligations (Policy DM6). Where national model conditions are relevant to the development, they should be used unless there are strong reasons for using a different condition.

Conditions must still meet tests of necessity, relevance, precision and reasonableness. Pre-commencement conditions should be avoided unless clearly justified.

Planning obligations should only be used where it’s not possible to address potential unacceptable impacts through a planning condition. Where national model planning obligations are relevant to the development, they should be used unless a different planning obligation is more appropriate.

4. Supporting small and medium sites and boosting local economies

The government wants to make it easier to bring forward small sites through clear support for the principle of development in different locations, policies on higher-density building in settlements and stronger support for mixed-tenure development.

The new NPPF sets out new polices on site allocations in local plans (Policy HO6). Allocations should accommodate at least 10% of the housing requirement on sites no larger than one hectare, and a further 10% on sites of between one and 2.5 hectares (unless there are strong reasons why these targets can’t be achieved). Sites should also be allocated where they will support rural communities and help villages grow and thrive, especially where this sustains local services

The new NPPF also introduces a ‘medium development’ category for 10-49 homes on sites of up to 2.5 hectares, linked to policy and regulatory easements to support a more streamlined and proportionate planning system across different scales of development.

The government also wants to encourage economic growth by giving substantial weight to the benefits of supporting business growth, particularly in sectors named in the Industrial Strategy, AI Growth Zones, logistics, town centres and agricultural and rural development (Policy E2).

5. Viability

The government proposes tighter restrictions on viability considerations for decision-making (Policy DM5). Development proposals should, subject to limited circumstances, be assumed viable if they align with relevant up-to-date plan policies and national decision-making policies. Land price or option agreement price shouldn’t justify non-compliance.

If viability assessments are submitted, they must be publicly available, fully evidence all inputs and assumptions and explain any differences from those used in plan policy assessments. All viability assessments should follow planning practice guidance and use standardised inputs.

Where contributions are reduced below the requirements set out in relevant development plan policies, review mechanisms to seek policy compliance over the lifetime of the project should be sought.