Home > News > The BPF asks the UK government to change the national planning policy

The BPF asks the UK government to change the national planning policy

Proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (“NPPF”) risk undermining the Government’s aim of delivering 300,000 new homes per year and will severely restrict the development of the employment space needed to drive economic growth, according to the British Property Federation (“BPF”).

In its response to the Government consultation, which closes today (2 March 2023), the BPF argues that the changes to national planning policy ‘actively work against’ the Government’s stated ambition of increasing housing delivery and driving levelling up and describes the potential impact on commercial development as ‘extremely concerning’.

The BPF argues that changes in how local authorities should assess housing needs, with councils no longer required to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply pipeline if the Local Plan is less than five years old, will mean there is less urgency in bringing forward residential development.

The BPF also highlights ‘clear contradictions’ between the policy to focus housing delivery in 20 of the UK’s largest towns and cities and the new proposal to water down requirements for local authorities to undertake a green belt review, with most of the urban areas identified for housing growth surrounded by a green belt or undeveloped land.

The BPF warns that a decline in housing delivery would mean a proportionate decrease in land allocated for employment uses, which in turn would impact economic growth and productivity.

While the BPF fully supports areas having up-to-date Local Plans in place, the current five-year cycle for plan-making means the policy cannot keep pace with changes in the economy and demand for workspace. As a result, the demand for industrial and logistics space, in particular, has been underestimated in planning policy for a decade, with the BPF calling on Government to introduce more strategic planning for employment space and infrastructure to ensure that these forms of development can be brought forward in a more coordinated way.

HICH LTD has continually raised the quality standards in the UK property survey market. Our multi-award-winning property survey service has made us the leading reference in the property survey market.

We offer property survey services of the highest quality. Using state-of-the-art equipment, we provide excellent property surveys at affordable prices. Our prices are based on the number of rooms rather than the value of the properties, so you will always get the best value for money with our services.

Please look at our Trustpilot page and see why customers have chosen us as their favourite property survey provider!

At HICH LTD, we work to serve our clients and make the world a better place for everyone. We actively collaborate with NGOs to promote environmental, social and charitable causes. If you want to know more about our efforts or how you can help, contact us at admin@hich-ltd.co.uk.

HICH LTD extends a warm invitation to contractors and service providers throughout the UK to join our network; by joining the Contractors and Service Providers Network, you will enjoy benefits such as a significant increase in customer flow, advertising on our high-traffic website, and direct contact with thousands of customers in your post code area. Find more information here or by following the QR code in the following video.