Having begun on 30 July 2024, the government’s consultation on revising the National Planning Policy Framework came to an end on 24 September.
Through the consultation, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was seeking views on how it might ‘revise national planning policy to support our wider objectives’.
Making changes to this framework was a policy outlined in the Labour Party’s manifesto ahead of the general election earlier this year. In its manifesto, it pledged to ‘ensure the planning system meets the needs of a modern economy, making it easier to build laboratories, digital infrastructure and gigafactories’.
At the 2024 Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Angela Rayner MP, deputy prime minister and secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, this week reiterated that one of the priorities of this government is “planning reform to get Britain building”.
She also referenced a “devolution revolution”, stating that she is “giving mayors more powers over house building and planning, as well as transport and skills” in order to complete an “irreversible shift in opportunity, power and wealth” across the country.
Angela Rayner at the 2023 Labour Party Conference in Liverpool
In response to the NPPF consultation, business group Logistics UK said that ‘it is imperative that the NPPF is strengthened to recognise the needs of the sector which underpins all economic activity’.
Jonathan Walker, head of infrastructure and planning policy at Logistics UK, commented: “If the government is serious about its stated commitment to get the country moving again, it is vital that the development of a National Freight Network is actioned, as committed to in the Future of Freight, the previous government’s policy commitment.
“This would identify the key routes and hubs for freight movements and establish how the transport and energy infrastructure must be developed and adapted to ensure the logistics sector can decarbonise effectively, and at pace.”
He continued: “National and local planning need to operate together, not in isolation, if real changes are to be made to the way goods move across the country and across its borders.
“Planning for logistics should be front and centre of every development – from constructing new freight terminals to expanding the provision of lorry parking nationwide – and the services needed to support these projects should be considered holistically, not on a piecemeal basis which can lead to delays, confusion and frustration.”
Additionally, Caroline Musker, head of planning at Prologis UK, said: “Reflecting on the scale of the NPPF consultation and the proposed changes, we fully support the government’s focus on stability, investment and reform as pillars for sustained economic growth.
“With the consultation now closed, chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that a Green Paper on the government’s priority industries will be unveiled around the time of the [Autumn] Budget, emphasising that the Industrial Strategy will be ‘at the heart’ of the government’s mission to drive sustainable economic growth and innovation.”
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She went on to say: “Clear national guidelines, particularly on grey belt, sustainability, and strategic / cross-boundary planning, need to be provided to drive economic growth. A stable framework that aligns with the upcoming Industrial Strategy is essential to drive investment and economic growth.
“Past attempts to reform the planning system have led to political tensions, forcing the government to backtrack. If delays in implementing the revised NPPF are necessary, we hope it is to ensure a comprehensive national framework that truly supports the UK’s economic growth pillars and delivers long-term stability.
“Prologis is eager to partner with the government to develop an efficient, well-resourced planning system and framework that empowers key sectors like logistics and digital infrastructure to thrive, and creates a planning system that encourages investment and growth in the UK.”
Victoria Towers, partner and co-head of the industrial and logistics practice at law firm Forsters, is critical of the draft NPPF, saying: “Freight and logistics are fundamental to the UK’s economic growth and productivity, according to the consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework. We agree, but that importance is not reflected in the text of the draft NPPF, where just 56 words are added. There are twice as many words on freight and logistics in the consultation document.
“We should be grateful that freight has at least made it into the NPPF for the first time in 12 years. The whole chapter on building a ‘strong, competitive economy’ is only two pages. Aren’t the government’s pledges dependent on economic growth?”
She continued: “The NPPF consultation has just two questions for the whole chapter on economic growth. By comparison, a call for evidence in July 2023 on planning reforms to support freight and logistics had ten questions, most of them half a page long. Have they been answered by the 56 words added to the draft NPPF?
“When it comes to policy, all the words are addressing housing supply. But sustainable communities need jobs and residents want fast deliveries. Their employers need reliable deliveries too, from their supply chains.”
