The Government has published the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF/The Framework) for England, marking a significant change in national planning policy and setting out a clearer, more rules-based approach to plan-making and decision-making.
Published on 17 August 2026, the new Framework replaces the December 2024 Framework. The Government says the changes are intended to increase housing delivery, support economic growth, reduce delays in the planning system and provide greater certainty for applicants, local planning authorities and communities. The new decision-making policies take effect immediately.
One of the most significant changes is a stronger in-principle presumption in favour of development in sustainable locations, including within existing settlements. The Government intends this to give greater weight to appropriate development where it can be accommodated sustainably and is consistent with national policy. The Framework introduces a stronger “default yes” approach to housing around well-connected railway stations, where sites are within reasonable walking distance and meet the relevant policy requirements.
It also seeks to make better use of land and increase housing supply through higher-density development in appropriate locations. It supports a wider range of development within residential curtilages and places greater emphasis on additional floorspace, rather than focusing solely on increasing the number of dwelling units. The Framework also introduces a distinct policy approach for strategic sites of around 1,500 homes or more, recognising the different planning and infrastructure requirements associated with major developments.
The Government’s broader approach to Green Belt reform remains an important part of the new planning framework, alongside stronger support for making effective use of previously developed land. The Framework also provides greater scope for development outside existing settlements in certain circumstances, including redevelopment of previously developed land and development needed to address an evidenced unmet need.
The new Framework strengthens protections for important community facilities. In particular, policies have been updated to help prevent the unnecessary loss of public houses and other valued community facilities. This reflects the Government’s recognition of the role that pubs, music venues and other facilities can play in supporting local communities and high streets.
We also see the introduction a significant new expectation around accessible housing, including a national minimum of 40% accessible homes on major residential developments, subject to the detailed policy requirements. There is also greater emphasis on design, transport connectivity and ensuring that development properly considers matters such as pollution, heritage, protected landscapes and, notably, safety for women and girls.
The Framework strengthens support for economic development and nationally important infrastructure, including AI Growth Zones and data centres, as well as development supporting clean energy, food production and other key sectors.
The Government is also seeking to make planning decisions faster and more proportionate by reducing unnecessary information requirements and introducing a clearer approach to different scales of development. A welcome commitment given some of our recent experiences with some Councils combined with reforms to the statutory consultee system, intended to reduce unnecessary consultation and focus specialist advice on cases where it adds most value.
A key structural change is the separation of plan-making policies from decision-making policies within the Framework. The Government says this is intended to make the Framework easier to use, reduce duplication and provide greater consistency in the way planning applications are determined.
What does this all mean?
The new Framework represents a substantial change in national planning policy and is likely to have immediate implications for local planning authorities, developers, landowners and planning applications currently being determined. Combined with the changes which took place last time, cumulatively, planning has evolved significantly within the last couple of years.
The emphasis is firmly on increasing housing delivery and supporting sustainable growth, while providing clearer national rules and reducing opportunities for unnecessary delay. For those involved in the planning system and therefore applicants and developers, understanding how the new policies interact with existing development plans and current applications will therefore be critical.
The Government has described the changes as part of a wider programme to create a clearer, faster and more rules-based planning system, with the objective of delivering the homes, infrastructure and economic investment needed across England.
We will see, in the coming months, how some of the national policies are received and applied as appropriate as we all get our heads around the changes which are in effect immediately.