Will changes to UK planning law create healthier neighbourhoods?
Changes to England’s National Planning Policy Framework could help better integrate housing and infrastructure, writes Stephen O’Malley for ICE
In a blog first published by ICE here, our CEO and ICE Policy Fellow Stephen O'Malley shares how changes to the National Planning Policy Framework is a step in the right direction:
The UK government has promised to deliver 1.5 million new homes.
This isn’t just about building the houses themselves. It’s about creating great neighbourhoods and thriving settlements, integrating and adding to current infrastructure, and working in harmony with the local landscape.
It’s an opportunity to make people less dependent on their cars, encouraging them to be more active and healthier while progressing towards net zero emissions.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, now approaching the end of its journey through Parliament, aims to speed up the delivery of homes and critical infrastructure.
The bill is another step in the government’s wider planning overhaul, building on the revision of England’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) last December.
A move away from car-centric communities
Practicalities loom large when planning for new homes.
Previous frameworks took the view that the car would continue to play an important role in such development.
The latest version, on the other hand, leans towards compact and connected settlements, active travel, and a greater emphasis on reducing carbon emissions.
The ICE argues that infrastructure is too often underfunded, poorly integrated, or entirely absent from development plans.
Too much housebuilding occurs in locations where connectivity is poor and where car dependency is reinforced.
This has led to missed opportunities to invest in active travel and public transport and unlock benefits for public health, the environment, and the economy.
The funding challenge
The challenge of funding remains, however, and a blend of public and private investment will be essential.
The government may therefore need to underwrite base infrastructure (the main ‘arteries’ of a development, which could cover highways, rail, water, etc). Meanwhile private capital is more likely to support growth-enabling schemes with long-term returns.
This calls for a more strategic, coordinated approach to infrastructure planning – one that aligns local delivery with national ambitions.
Introducing ‘grey belt’ development
Another potentially contentious element of the revised NPPF is the introduction of the ‘grey belt’.
This is Green Belt land that has been previously developed or doesn't “strongly contribute” to its core purposes.
By enabling the development of such land, the government aims to unlock sites that are often overlooked yet well-located and underused.
While some may view grey belt land as low-value or ecologically insignificant, it can offer real potential when approached with care and creativity.
These sites often sit close to existing infrastructure and services, making them ideal for sustainable development.
Everywhere has such shades of grey, of nuance, of subtlety.
Grey belt land offers the opportunity to make the case for exploiting that. It will also make it harder for local authorities to argue that they don’t have enough suitable land to meet their housing targets.
A step in the right direction
The revised NPPF is not without its imperfections, but it represents a step in the right direction.
It acknowledges the complexity of housing delivery and the central role of infrastructure in shaping successful places.
For engineers, planners, and developers alike, it offers a more grounded framework: one that invites collaboration, innovation, and a renewed focus on delivery.
What is the NPPF?
The NPPF sets out the government’s objectives for land use and development in England.
First published in 2012, it brought together over two dozen planning policy statements and guidance notes. The December 2024 revision is the sixth version of the document.
Local authorities use it when creating local plans and assessing individual planning applications.
One of Labour’s first actions when they took office last year was to revisit the draft NPPF inherited from the previous Conservative administration.
The Conservatives had tweaked the NPPF several times, with then-ministers introducing – some argued controversially – the emphasis on ‘beauty’ in the built environment.
Labour’s revisions, however, reflect a shift towards something more measurable – and more deliverable.
