Posts Tagged ‘National Planning Policy Framework’
A Busy Month for the Planning Industry
The past month has brought one of the most significant waves of planning reform announcements in years, with the government pursuing an aggressive strategy to accelerate housing delivery, cut perceived bureaucracy, and reconfigure the relationship between central and local decision-making… First, in the Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed a substantial £48 million boost to…
Read More1.5m Homes Target: Ambition or Illusion?
The Government’s pledge to deliver 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament has again made headlines – and not for the right reasons… The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has written to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), with a warning that the government is going to miss its target of building 1.5…
Read MoreThe Widening Gap between Application and Build
Planning applications are on the up, but two significant hurdles are delaying new homes… Recent figures from TerraQuest’s Planning Portal reveal that planning applications for new homes jumped by nearly a third between April and June 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. In total, 69,597 new homes were applied for in Q2, up…
Read MoreGrey Belt Proves a Grey Area for Planners
Recent appeal decisions show that ‘Grey Belt’ continues to be subject to interpretation… As we have previously reported, the latest updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) include significant changes to Green Belt policy, particularly regarding the definition and assessment of ‘Grey Belt’ land. These changes aim to streamline the planning process for development…
Read MoreThe Code to Good Community Health
New guidance for design process puts the importance of health and wellbeing at the top of the agenda for planning… Apex Planning Consultant’s Paul Smith recently attended a seminar on health, wellbeing and planning organised by the RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute) South East region. It took place on 7 May 2025 at the Milton…
Read MoreWhere will 1.5 million New Homes be Built?
We take a look at a recent white paper that delves into the question of where land for the government’s promised 1.5m new homes will be found… The Labour Government has made it clear that it intends to build 1.5 million new homes over its term in parliament. Yes, the UK has a shortage of…
Read MoreRevisions announced to the National Planning Policy Framework
Last week the government published the latest version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). We take a look at what this means for developers and local planning authorities… The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was revised on 12 December 2024. The Government stated that the revisions represented an ‘overhaul of the planning system to…
Read MoreBrownfield Passport to Planning and Development
Committed to getting Britain building again, the UK Government targets brownfield sites to access growth opportunities… The government is focusing on urban sites with a proposed ‘Brownfield Passport’, in a bid to speed up development on previously developed urban land. This could mean revitalising derelict or underused sites, advancing overlooked small plots, and optimising existing…
Read MoreGrey Area: What is the New Grey Belt?
If you’ve never encountered the phrase Grey Belt before, we attempt to explain it – along with other definitions of land designation such as Green Belt, Greenfield and Brownfield… The Newly Assigned Grey Belt If you read last month’s blog, you might be wondering where the term ‘Grey Belt’ came from. If you’ve not encountered…
Read MoreNew Government Sets Targets for Home Provision
Local authorities will be expected to plan for 370,000 homes a year under new proposals from Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner… The new Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has announced a number of planning system reforms, among them a recalculation of the required number of…
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