For landowners and developers, the changes could have particular significance in Hertfordshire, where strong housing demand and significant areas of Green Belt create a particular challenge for future development.
So, what does the new NPPF mean in practice?
A continued focus on housing delivery
A central theme of the revised NPPF is the need to deliver more homes in the right locations.
The Government is placing greater pressure on local planning authorities to plan positively for housing need and to ensure that sufficient land is available for development. Where councils are unable to demonstrate an adequate supply of housing land, this can have an important bearing on the planning balance when applications are considered.
For Hertfordshire, where many authorities face significant housing pressures alongside substantial Green Belt constraints, this presents a particular challenge – and potentially new opportunities for suitable sites.
Green Belt and the growing importance of the 'grey belt'
One of the most significant aspects of the NPPF remains its approach to Green Belt land. The Framework does not mean that Green Belt land is automatically available for development. However, it provides a clearer route for development on grey belt land, where the relevant policy tests are met.
The NPPF allows certain development on grey belt land to be treated as not inappropriate Green Belt development where, among other requirements, there is a demonstrable unmet need, the site is in a sustainable location and development would not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining Green Belt.
This could be particularly important in Hertfordshire, where councils are already undertaking detailed Green Belt assessments to understand the contribution individual parcels of land make to Green Belt purposes. East Hertfordshire, for example, has recently completed a Green Belt assessment covering around 260 land parcels to help inform its emerging Local Plan.
Development around railway stations
Another area of interest is the Framework’s support for residential and mixed-use development in sustainable locations, including land within reasonable walking distance of well-connected railway stations.
This could have particular relevance in Hertfordshire, with its extensive rail network and locations such as St Albans, Harpenden, Hitchin, Welwyn Garden City, Berkhamsted and others benefiting from strong transport connections.
The policy does not mean that land near a station will automatically be suitable for development. Matters such as infrastructure, access, design, environmental constraints and the relationship with the existing settlement will remain important.
However, proximity to sustainable transport is increasingly likely to be an important factor when assessing development potential.
What does this meant for landowners?
The new NPPF provides a good reason for landowners to reassess sites that may previously have been considered unsuitable for development.
Green Belt land, previously developed land, sites close to existing settlements and land around well-connected transport hubs may all warrant a fresh look.
That does not mean every site will have planning potential. Local Plans, infrastructure capacity, environmental constraints and site-specific circumstances will continue to play a critical role.
However, the direction of national policy is clear: the Government wants more homes and it wants them delivered in sustainable locations.
For landowners, understanding how their individual site fits within this changing planning landscape has therefore never been more important.
At Ashtons, our Land team works across the Home Counties and can provide advice on the development and market potential of land, including sites where planning prospects may have changed as a result of the new NPPF. If you own land in Hertfordshire and would like to understand whether the new NPPF could affect its development potential, get in touch with our Land team for a confidential discussion.
