Savills provides initial thoughts on new National Planning Policy Framework
The government has today published a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), following consultation between December 2025 and March 2026. The revised Framework introduces a clearer distinction between policies for plan-making and those for decision-making, alongside stronger support for housing, economic growth and development in sustainable locations.
As expected, the new NPPF carries forward many of the changes proposed in the consultation version, which Savills responded to in March 2026, and our overview of key changes and our response can be read here.
The new NPPF includes stronger in-principle support for development, a “default yes” for housing close to well-connected stations, minimum density expectations around stations, strengthened support for AI Growth Zones and data centres, new accessibility requirements and a more proportionate approach to decision-making. The alteration of minimum density standards for housing sites to a range of 35 – 45 dwellings per hectare is to be welcomed as more deliverable. The scope for development near stations has been expanded, to now include the top 80 Travel to Work Areas, with reasonable walking distance from the station confirmed as 800m.
The NPPF becomes national policy today, affecting planning decisions and Local Plan preparation. Alongside the revised Framework, the latest Housing Delivery Test results have also been published. The results show a further increase in the number of authorities subject to policy consequences, with 31% of local planning authorities now falling within the presumption in favour of sustainable development, compared with 20% in the 2023 measurement. At the same time, only 51% of authorities avoided any Housing Delivery Test consequences, down from 65% in 2023.
Key changes from the December 2025 consultation draft
The final NPPF broadly retains the draft’s direction, but contains a number of important changes and clarifications, including:
- wider application of the “default yes” for development near well-connected stations, extending from the top 60 to the top 80 Travel to Work Areas by Gross Value Added;
- a more flexible approach to density, replacing the draft’s fixed range of 40 – 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) figures with an expectation to maximise density where accessibility, infrastructure, viability and local character allow (35 – 45 dph now stated);
- broader support for residential intensification, including additional residential floorspace as well as additional homes;
- stronger recognition of energy and water capacity issues in plan making – including location of development;
- recognition of “strategic sites” of around 1,500 homes or more, including their longer delivery periods, phasing, infrastructure and viability requirements – which introduces an opportunity to make a viability justification for alternative affordable housing / infrastructure provision, where justified;
- to assist delivery, some flexibility in how viability justifications may be made;
- greater flexibility in applying parking standards when large retail sites and extensive car parks are redeveloped;
- stronger protection for pubs, requiring evidence that there is no reasonable prospect of continued viability before conversion or redevelopment;
- clear confirmation that major development in Protected Landscapes should be refused other than in exceptional circumstances; and
- clearer separation between plan-making policies and national decision-making policies, with the latter applying alongside the development plan from 17 August 2026.
This NPPF is the eighth iteration since 2012; many in the industry will now hope for a period of policy stability. By and large this latest version is as anticipated, including for the first time a series of rules-based policies for both plan making and decision taking. More comment on the document can be heard in our podcast, released earlier this year (listen here).
The publication today should now be welcomed by all, not least by local planning authorities who now have a framework from which to produce the new-style local plans.
In respect of viability, the revised NPPF makes pragmatic changes, which should help developers address current market conditions and increasing regulatory requirements. The amendments will enable developers to diverge from local plan requirements in planning applications where the scheme costs were not considered in the local plan viability assessment. If developers wish to change cost assumptions in the viability then they will need to demonstrate this with reference to a significant market change. The revised NPPF is also helpful in that it does not incorporate earlier proposals to fix developer margins and land prices.
Savills anticipates significant emphasis to be placed on the definition of settlement boundaries, with opportunities for new development both within and on edge of settlements. This includes locations that meet the broader definition of Grey Belt land; albeit with continued emphasis on the ‘Golden Rules’. In respect of biodiversity net gain, the revised NPPF reiterates the minimum 10% requirement, with less weight given to local policy that seeks to inflate this. Parish Councils are incentivised to keep Neighbourhood Plans up to date, provided they meet identified housing needs, given that the five-year protection from the presumption being retained in the revised NPPF.
Fundamentally there is strong incentive for local authorities to produce an up-to-date local plan and promptly. Local Plan time horizons can now be set at as little as 10 years, rather than 15, which should aid plan making. Given that all present local plan policies predate the revised NPPF; there is a risk that some will be given limited weight in decision-making where inconsistent with the Framework.