Industry encouraged by NPPF changes, but do they go far enough?
Plans to raise housing targets and remove land from the Green Belt to deliver homes have been applauded across the industry but concerns around resourcing within local authorities endure after Labour’s tweaks to the country’s planning system.
Labour plans to reverse many of the changes made to the National Planning Policy Framework by the Conservatives last year, including reintroducing mandatory housing targets.
Read more about the proposed changes
Local authorities across the board are failing to deliver the number of homes they need so any attempt to boost the housebuilding sector was likely to be welcomed.
However, if Labour’s new standard method of calculating housing need is adopted, many areas will be faced with a significant increase in the number of units they need to provide annually. This may result in the need for councils to release poor quality Green Belt, termed by Labour as grey belt, to provide the land needed.
Simply raising targets will have little impact on delivery itself but, in the eyes of many in the industry, it is a good start.
Industry reaction
Phil Cooper, director at Hope Architects
“The reforms make a substantial step forward, especially against the backdrop of the NIMBY-led planning policy of the last few years. I think this is an initial bridgehead of proposals, with more to follow – and a huge amount of structural changes to how applications are determined is going to be needed.
“Only time will tell [if the changes will be enough to meet the govt’s 1.5m housing target] and with larger sites and slow-moving local authorities, it will be a few years yet before we know whether it’s working.”
Katie Daniels, director at Euan Kellie Property Solutions
“There are some meaningful changes here, and some new policies, like grey belt, which should allow for a marked change in decision making. This is arguably is the biggest change made in the NPPF and there is lots of grey belt available so this could make a tangible impact on housing delivery.
“Ultimately, the proposed changes are all very positive but will not, in themselves, be enough to meet the 1.5m target. We await more details on the government’s biggest and boldest proposal – building more new towns – which will play a crucial part on delivering this ambitious target. The establishment of the New Towns Taskforce is encouraging and its effectiveness will be key.”
Rob Haslam, regional head of planning at Harworth Group
“The scale of the ambition shown by the new government and its commitment to grow the economy to fund its agenda is fantastic. The identification of higher levels of growth in the North West is also welcomed and will allow it to deliver on its potential.
“There will inevitably be a backlash, so the key will be to ensure that this ambition does not get watered down and that the government remains committed to ensure its early delivery.”
Mark Allan, chief executive at Landsec
“This is an extensive set of measures which tackle many of the issues we face within the planning system.
“I am particularly pleased to see the increased focus on brownfield land and the recognition of the role mixed-use and commercial development plays in driving economic growth and housing delivery.
“It is now up to our industry and our partners in local government to rise to this challenge and maximise the opportunities presented by development. Not only by delivering homes and growth, but also by ensuring that growth works to unlock opportunities for people across the country.”
Anna Relph, director at Turley
“The proposed amendments to the NPPF are incredibly positive and set out a clear ambition to tackle the housing crisis through decisive action. From a northern perspective, they are pretty much everything the industry had been lobbying for and, in some cases, more.
“The mantra is clear that local housing needs have to be met in full – with very limited exemptions – and that Local Plans can plan for higher levels of housing growth.
“However, policy alone doesn’t deliver a single house. It will take time for updated Local Plans to be put in place and then for planning permission on allocated sites to be granted, before the first homes can be delivered. This means that, in all likelihood, a significant proportion of the additional housing needs identified in the proposed standard method won’t be realised under towards the end of the current parliament.”
Dan Mitchell, planning director at Stantec
“We very much welcome the government’s consultation on Planning reform; it is much needed after a decade of frustration.
“The draft NPPF releases the ‘firm grip’ the previous government had on development, where their indecision led to inaction. The renewed focus on housing delivery is welcome.
“Across the NW, housing targets are up. The region now has to deliver nearly 38,000 homes a year. That’s 10,000 more than current delivery rates. And its across the board.
“Many councils like Cheshire East, Lancaster, West Lancashire, and Ribble Valley will be waking up today wondering whether such growth is even possible.”
Helen Gordon, chief executive at Grainger
“It is positive to see the Labour Government hit the ground running with today’s housing and planning reform proposals which is an important first step in achieving their target of delivering 1.5m new homes. In particular, the emphasis of a multi-tenure approach, where councils will need to determine and plan for local housing need for home ownership, private rental and affordable homes, is very welcome.
“Today’s proposals will support our plans to develop over 5,000 new homes, and our ambitions to go well beyond this.”
Melanie Leech, chief executive at the British Property Federation
“This is an ambitious package of measures, which will not only start to turn the tide on our housing crisis, but also inject some much-needed growth into our economy. We need a multi-tenure approach to tackle the housing crisis which sees social housing, homes for sale, and Build to Rent all firing on all cylinders. We are therefore particularly pleased to see that as part of the revised NPPF, Government will double down on encouraging and supporting all sectors to do their bit.”
Jeremy Hinds, director at Savills
“Overall, the announcements were slightly underwhelming. It is not a wholesale review as would have been preferred – a lot of the changes are deletions form the previous update rather than new ideas.
“The planned Green Belt reform does not go far enough and could be substantially more radical – especially by redefining the purposes of Green Belt, and distinguishing open countryside and urban fringe.”
Simon Farnsworth, managing director at Life Science REIT
“Life sciences is a flagship UK growth industry and the promise from our new government to make it easier to build labs across the country is an important and welcome one.
“With the delivery of new homes and supporting infrastructure largely dominating the National Planning Policy Framework, today’s commitment around labs and digital infrastructure suggests that Labour is alert to the potential of this industry to drive economic growth.
Ben Standing, partner at Browne Jacobson
“It’s welcome to see the new government waste no time in unveiling its plans for reforming the planning system, but it must ensure it works in close collaboration with the local authorities that will execute this new regime, rather than forcing something on them.
“We would urge the Government to tackle this issue in co-ordination with its proposed revision of the National Planning Policy Framework. We would like to see new funding announced for local authorities and a focus on accessing the necessary training. Perhaps a dedicated central resource of specific skills could be made available.
“The combination of more resource, along with an NPPF that clearly sets priorities for specific issues, should allow the planning system to be quicker and more consistent in its outcomes.”
Jo Davis, Principal, managing director for place and UK executive chair at Avison Young
“Today’s changes alone cannot achieve the government’s mandate to build 1.5m new homes. Achieving this goal requires a multi-layered approach of policy changes, a shift in political and developer mindsets, and broader societal momentum.
“Today marks an important shift in the debate from “not if” to “how” we will build new homes. It necessitates a mindset change from NIMBYism to an appreciation of the social value that building new homes and creating successful places brings.”
Georgina Lynch, managing director at PJ Livesey
“Finally our government has a plan to start solving the housing crisis with a multi-tenure approach.
“The key challenge will be addressing the skills shortage to ensure enough resources within planning departments to meet the government’s ambitious targets.
“Speeding up planning on brownfield sites is just as important as reviewing the Green Belt. The heritage buildings that we sensitively repurpose are often owned by the public sector and are expensive to maintain, so delays to planning actually cost the taxpayer.”
James Blakey, planning director at Moda Group
“The proactive changes to the planning framework are an ambitious move by government to turbo-charge our planning system and get the housing market back on its feet.
“Build-to-rent is acknowledged in the new planning framework, which is welcome, but we would encourage government to go further by highlighting the crucial role the UK-wide sector is already playing in creating sustainable, flexible and inclusive neighbourhoods in our cities and suburbs. Quality delivery, inclusive delivery and pace of delivery are at the heart of NPPF24, and the build-to-rent sector is brilliantly placed to provide high-quality tenure secure homes alongside community lifestyles for all, at pace.
“National ambition and dynamic local authority alignment are key to the success of the NPPF. Moda Group strongly supports this bold move by government as we all strive to meet, and ideally exceed, the delivery target of 1.5 million new homes in this parliament.”
