The UK Government has begun consulting on a clearer, rules-based National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), setting out the next phase of reforms intended to accelerate growth and housebuilding in England. In a letter issued on 16 December 2025, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the package aims to support delivery of 1.5 million homes this Parliament and progress clean power by 2030.
The draft approach separates national policy for plan-making from policies that guide day‑to‑day decision‑making. Ministers propose that, once the final NPPF is published, any existing development plan policies that conflict with new national decision‑making policies would carry very limited weight. The Government also confirms it does not intend, at this stage, to use powers in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 to make national decision‑making policies statutory, citing disruption risks, but will keep the position under review.
The consultation runs for 12 weeks, closing on 10 March. Authorities currently preparing plans in the new system are advised to take account of the proposed policies to inform early drafting, though development plans will not be required to follow the revised NPPF until the final version is published.
The Government pairs policy change with near‑term operational support. An additional £48 million is allocated to boost local planning authority capacity, alongside a new £8 million fund to help accelerate post‑outline applications for major residential schemes. Of this, £3 million is earmarked for the Greater London Authority to support boroughs in implementing emergency measures announced jointly with the Mayor on 23 October.
Further supply‑side actions include an expression of interest for ambitious authorities to help create pattern books of standardised, high‑quality house types, designed to enable faster delivery using modern methods and digital tools. Government will also provide £5 million to extend the Small Sites Aggregator to Bristol, Sheffield and Lewisham, with the aim of converting up to 60 small brownfield sites into new social rented homes.
On environmental requirements, ministers confirm that housing developments up to 0.2 hectares will be exempt from Biodiversity Net Gain, with simplified processes proposed for other small and medium sites. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will also consult rapidly on a targeted exemption for brownfield residential development, testing site size thresholds up to 2.5 hectares.
The letter addresses viability and delivery pressures in current schemes. It reiterates that Section 106 obligations may be renegotiated where justified, but expects a pragmatic and timely approach from authorities alongside careful scrutiny-especially where applicants seek to lower affordable housing contributions via new viability assessments. Ministers are also implementing the new Section 73B route (alongside existing Sections 73 and 96A) to vary permissions, while making clear it is not intended to ease reductions to agreed obligations.
The reforms sit alongside the imminent Planning and Infrastructure Bill 2025. Six areas are highlighted: a national scheme of delegation to modernise planning committees; powers for local authorities to set their own planning fees within a national framework; an updated framework for development corporations; introduction of Spatial Development Strategies; changes to compulsory purchase and compensation to speed land assembly; and revisions to the pre‑application process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. Some measures are intended to take effect within two months of Royal Assent; consultations on technical regulations will follow in 2026.
For planning teams, the proposed limits on local quantitative standards-and the direction to avoid duplicating Building Regulations-signal a shift towards fewer bespoke local technical requirements. Developers should expect national decision‑making policies to “bite” immediately on publication of the final NPPF, altering the weight attached to some long‑standing local plan policies and increasing the importance of early engagement on scheme design against national policy.
In practical terms, local authorities may wish to review emerging plan evidence, design codes and validation lists against the draft NPPF, prioritise resource to post‑outline case management where funding is available, and identify small brownfield opportunities that could qualify for aggregator support. Housing associations and SME builders should assess pipeline sites for any Biodiversity Net Gain process changes, and consider whether Section 106 variations are warranted on stalled schemes given the clarified guidance.