Proposed Revisions to the NPPF – Spotlight on the Standard Method for Housing, and the Green Belt

Now that the revisions to the NPPF have been out for several weeks, we can see how the proposed changes are starting to impact the planning system and the likely consequences for policy-making and decision-making. This article reports on our experiences and thoughts to date and is based on the changes going through as proposed.

Policy Making – revisions to the Standard Method and what this means for housing provision

Turning to policy making, the most crucial point is the revisions to the Standard Method, which sees dramatic increases in housing numbers across the Country. We are working in several LPAs with plans currently being examined, with housing targets of more than 200 homes lower than the Revised Standard Method figure (RSM). The immediate consequence is that it will lead to plans needing to be updated at the point of adoption and subject to immediate review. This opens the door to speculative development applications coming forward, with few options available to LPAs to defend their position.

For those LPAs in the formative stages of Plan making, where they have the opportunity to accommodate those changes, from our discussions with Policy Managers, whilst using the RSM figure is mandatory, the requirement to achieve the RSM figure is more flexible. There is a genuine concern in some LPAs about whether there are simply enough sites available in SHLAAs to meet an RSM requirement. This creates an opportunity for more sites to come forward.

Why is this important? Simply put, policy is everything; it is the tool by which planning decisions are made, and the reforms to the NPPF impact how current policy tools are used. This places a significant emphasis on understanding the strategy implications of the changes as much as the policy tools themselves. We have extensive experience in guiding our clients through the maze of strategy decisions which have to be made on development projects, and the revisions have increased the complexity of this maze and, at the same time, opened up new opportunities. Our team can help you make the most of these opportunities.

Reforming the Green Belt? Welcome to the Grey Belt

The proposed Green Belt reforms are massive as it’s the first time Government Policy has codified when and how Green Belt land should be released for development. These include:

•  Re-writing of the very special circumstances test to allow for a 5-year housing land supply to be used as a VSC justification.
•  Introducing the Grey Belt  – this is not just brownfield land, but also land that does not contribute to the Green Belt’s overall purposes in the first place.

Why is this important?

These reforms directly target brownfield land and peripheral sites on the edge of towns and villages within the Green Belt, for development. Whereas previously, such sites were highly protected by the Green Belt policy, it now allows for a more nuanced approach to assessing their contribution and whether they should be developed. For example, will the loss of a site 100 metres into a Green Belt which is several kilometres in area have a material impact on the openness of the Green Belt? In principle and under the reforms, arguably not. Whereas currently, such a loss would be unacceptable.

Concluding thoughts for the development community

Planning reform presents a significant opportunity for the development community to deliver sites that may have been thwarted by previous government policy. What is clear is that the team at McLoughlin Planning can use our extensive strategy experience to examine all the options available to you, guide you through the process and enable you to realise the development potential of your site, that may not have previously existed.

We are in the process of responding to the latest NPPF consultation, but what with recent Written Ministerial Statements and a lot of chatter surrounding planning reform it is hard to identify what the practical implications may be.

If you want to know how the latest proposals may impact your development aspirations moving forward, don’t hesitate to contact us via: info@mplanning.co.uk

Nathan McLoughlin – Managing Director

Resources:

Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system

WMS made on 30 July 2024