DLUHC published an updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on 19 December 2023 following a consultation in December 2022. The update was announced during the Secretary of State’s speech about the government’s ambitions for housing and infrastructure, and the role of planning in helping achieve them. Further details about what was announced can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement.

Various reforms are introduced to housing delivery, effective immediately.

These are 10 of the key changes:

1. Local Housing Need – Paragraph 60 of the NPPF, clarifies that the overall aim of local authorities, in the context of delivering homes, should be to “meet as much of an area’s identified housing need as possible”. Under paragraph 61, the revised NPPF states that the standard method for calculating housing need, to establish the number of homes required, is now considered as an “an advisory starting point”. This had not been specified previously. As a result, the status is clearer for local authorities to have greater flexibility to plan for fewer or higher number of homes than the standard method indicates, and where there are specific local circumstances that justify an alternative approach to assessing housing need, that is now explicitly supported.

2. Green Belt – New paragraph 145 of the revised NPPF provides that local authorities may choose to (but are not required to) review and alter Green Belt boundaries (in the event that they consider that they cannot meet housing need).

3. Higher Densities – New paragraph 130 of the revised NPPF provides that a significant increase in the average density of residential development in an existing urban area may be inappropriate if it will result in developments which are “wholly out of character with the existing area.” The effect of this change is to enable authorities to describe “out of character” circumstances in the process of preparing design codes and plan-making.

4. Five year housing land supply – The changes remove the requirement to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply on an annual basis, where an up to date (less than five years old) local plan is in place which contained a deliverable five-year supply of land at its examination. The change provides an incentive to local planning authorities to keep Local Plans up to date so that they do not continually need to demonstrate a five year land supply.

5. Buffer – Under the previous version of the NPPF, all local planning authorities were required to build a buffer of 5% (by default), 10% or 20% into their calculations on five-year housing land supply. In the updated NPPF, the 5% and 10% buffers have been removed but the 20% buffer has been retained, where delivery falls below 85% of the requirement over the previous three years. In addition, historic oversupply can be accounted for in the five-year housing land supply calculation and further guidance on this will follow. The expectation is that the removal of 5% and 10% will simplify the five-year land supply calculations for local authorities.

6. Neighbourhood Plans – the changes increase the level of protection from the presumption afforded by neighbourhood plans from two to five years post adoption, provided they identify at least one housing site.
7. Diversifies types of housing – additional support is given to the delivery of self-build, custom-build and community-led housing and encourages the delivery of older people’s housing, including retirement housing, housing-with-care and care homes.

8. Role of beauty – The latest NPPF revisions mean that “beauty” is emphasised as a consideration in strategic policies.

9. Agricultural land – greater protection is given to agricultural land through additional reference to the need to address food production, maintaining the emphasis on best and most versatile (BMV) land.

10. Energy efficiency measures – New paragraph 164 in the NPPF requires local authorities, in determining planning applications, to give “significant weight” to the need to support “energy efficiency and low carbon heating improvements” through adaptation of buildings. When assessing applications for energy efficiency improvements, it is important that heritage protection is considered. Paragraph 164 in the revised NPPF provides for this by stating that where the proposals would affect conservation areas, listed buildings or other relevant designated heritage assets, local planning authorities should also apply the relevant policies, set out in detail in Chapter 16 of the NPPF.

Alongside the revised NPPF, the Secretary of State set out his ambitions for planning performance grouped around four themes: Greater transparency, additional financial support, faster processes and direction action.

These themes included: reviewing the use of Extension of Time agreements in managing performance issues; emphasising the increase in planning fees and the establishment of the Planning Super Squad; establishing Accelerated Planning Services and intervening where local authorities fail to get a local plan in place.

DLUHC also published the results of the 2022 Housing Delivery Test at the end of December.

Landlords’ perspectives of the provision of floor coverings in social housing are explored in a new report by Altair and the Longleigh Foundation.

The report voices the views and experiences of social housing landlords. It follows on from earlier learning reports on the wider context and the tenant perspective of floor coverings. The report provides three case studies of organisations providing floor coverings at the point of let. It also shares a key regulatory update from Wales, where the new version of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard sets an expectation that social landlords provide floor coverings for their tenants at point of let.

You can read the learning report here.

It’s a big birthday for the NHC – we’ve been the voice of housing in the North for 50 years! 

We want to use the year to look back at what we’ve achieved with colleagues, members, and partners, and to look forward to the next 50 years. 

You’ll see our 50 years together showcased throughout our events programme, including a special anniversary edition of the Summit. Over the course of the year, we plan to share 50 stories bringing to life the work of the NHC and the sector and look forward to the future.  

Tenants are at the heart of housing, and the NHC’s work. So, this year we’ve decided to expand Unlocking Success, our bursary scheme, so we can support more people living in social housing to realise their ambitions. This is just one of the ways we’ll be involving tenants, and applications will open in spring, so look out for further details. 

We also want to help you get to know the team at the NHC even better.  

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said: “Our 50th anniversary is a great opportunity to look back and celebrate, and learn from, the work we’ve done over the past fifty years with our members and partners. We’ll also look at where we’re going as a sector, and what the next fifty years could hold.  Our anniversary celebrations will naturally include a strong focus on tenants, as tenant engagement is something we’ve been championing for many years.  

“I also hope it will help you get to know the NHC even better than you do already. We have a fantastic team here who really go above and beyond for our members.” 

There will be lots of opportunities for members to get involved throughout the year. Make sure you keep an eye on member news, our social channels, and the website.  

We’re currently on the lookout for people to interview as part of our 50 stories. We’d be particularly interested in talking to housing colleagues at any level who have worked in the sector for over 35 years or have just joined.  

We’d also like to speak to tenants who have lived in their home for forty plus years, or people who have just moved into a social rent home. Please contact Communication Project Manager Kathy Thomas Kathy.thomas@northern-consortium.org.uk if you’d like to take part or have anyone you’d like to put forward for this.