Planning Reform and Policy in 2025

2024 saw a new government enter 10 Downing Street and with it a pledge to get ‘Britain building again‘ starting with 1.5 million homes over the next five years. We are now seeing the implementation of planning reform to support house building at this scale.

December 2024 closed out with the publication of an updated National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice Guide on December 2024 and the English Devolution White Paper on 16 December 2024.

Under the proposals in the English Devolution White Paper, ‘Metro Mayors’ will take a more direct role in plans for their areas. Mayors in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region and the North East will be the first to receive new integrated funding settlements, covering housing, regeneration, local growth, transport, skills, retrofit and employment support.   

Later this year, the government is anticipated to set out its Devolution Priority Programme aimed at extending and deepening devolution across England, ‘giving all communities the opportunity to take back control’. Key to this transformation will be the government’s ambition for all of England to have Strategic Authorities – larger than individual councils. Many places already have Combined Authorities that will serve this role. Elsewhere, the government will work at pace with areas that want to create new Authorities and will also legislate to allow for the creation of Strategic Authorities where local leaders have, after due time has been allowed, not been able to make progress.  

If the subject of the working papers seen in 2024 carries through to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill expected in the first half of 2025, the following legislative planning reforms are very much on the cards:   

  • The introduction of a ‘brownfield passport’ scheme to support the development of brownfield land in urban areas. These would set out what development is acceptable in terms of the principle, the scale, and the form of development and to potential wider use of Local Development Orders to grant area-wide permissions all in a way that retains local oversight.  
  • Planning committee reforms that aim to reduce delays and uncertainty by standardising operations, encouraging developers to submit proposals more quickly, and providing greater certainty to applicants.
  •  In addition, the government is considering the creation of smaller targeted planning committees specifically for strategic development, as well as the introduction of a mandatory requirement for training for planning committee members. 
  • A new approach to how housing and infrastructure development can meet its environmental obligations and contribute to nature recovery. To establish a more efficient and effective way for habitats regulations and other environmental obligations to be discharged, pooling individual contributions to deliver the strategic interventions necessary to drive nature recovery at scale.  

In 2024 biodiversity net gain became mandatory for major and minor development sites; this will extend to industrial developments and nationally significant infrastructure projects from late 2025.  

Expect to see more local councils using Article 4 directives to control development. Article 4 directives enable councils to restrict certain permitted development rights within a defined area requiring homeowners to obtain planning permission. Traditionally, used to protect conservation areas from harmful change, in recent years Article 4 directives have been implemented to control types of development. For example, in Cyngor Gwynedd an Article 4 Direction was introduced from 1 September 2024 to manage the use of houses as second homes and holiday homes in the Gwynedd Local Planning Authority Area – planning permission is now required before changing the use of a property into a second home, short-term holiday let or specific mixed use.  Residents mounted a judicial challenge which was unsuccessful as the council was deemed to have acted lawfully. 

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations are expected to be reformed in response to the government consultation launched on 4 December 2024. This is widely anticipated to move more listed buildings into EPC requirements.  

The Future Homes Standard will have a significant impact on planning applications for new homes from 2025. The standard aims to ensure all houses built from 2025 will produce 75 to 80 per cent less carbon emissions. Expect to see the Standard become a key part of the regulatory landscape that developers consider when valuing land, investing in development, and deciding on housing numbers and site layout.  

At Ethical Planning, our team of chartered planning consultants is committed to guiding our clients through this evolving planning landscape and upcoming planning reform.  We take the time to understand the future of planning, staying ahead of policy changes, strategic development processes, and regulatory requirements. Our expertise ensures that your projects not only meet the demands of the upcoming planning reform and the new planning framework, but also achieve successful, sustainable outcomes.

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