The Government has recently initiated a consultation on a series of proposed amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework ("the Framework”) aimed at boosting housing delivery on brownfield sites.
The most significant change proposed would require local planning authorities in England’s 20 largest towns and cities (including London, Bradford, Bristol and Leicester) to apply a ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ to residential planning applications on brownfield sites, where the authority’s Housing Delivery Test score falls to 95% or below.
The presumption would require the local authority to grant all planning applications on brownfield sites, unless it can demonstrate that:
- the proposals would have a clear adverse impact on areas or assets of particular importance, for example the Green Belt or Conservation Areas; or
- any adverse impacts that the development would result in significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the Framework as a whole.
Elsewhere, the consultation proposes amendments to the Framework to include an explicit requirement for planning authorities across the country to afford ‘significant weight’ to the benefits of delivering new homes on brownfield land.
It also proposes that the wording of the Framework is updated to require authorities to take a ‘flexible approach’ in applying policy and guidance related to daylight and sunlight and the internal layouts of development, where they would otherwise inhibit making the most efficient use of a brownfield site. The proposals note, however, that the changes would not remove any existing legal standards, nor would they apply to standards relating to the external appearance of buildings.
We have extensive experience securing planning permission for developments on brownfield sites, and are deeply familiar with the legislation, case law and policy relating to the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’. If you have any questions regarding the impact which the proposed changes may have on you and your work, do not hesitate to contact Ben Murphy, Principal Planner, on 07747 513209 or at benmurphy@dlbp.uk.