Our response to the new draft National Planning Policy Framework

We deplore the proposed changes that will weaken protections for the Green Belt, National Landscapes, wildlife habitats, valued landscapes, Local Green Spaces, heritage assets, and the wider countryside.

In December 2025 the government published its new draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for consultation. We have now submitted our response, and we encourage our supporters to also submit responses – the deadline is 11.45 pm on Tuesday 10 March 2026.

We are outraged that the government’s proposed changes will further prioritise short-term building targets at the expense of the countryside and the environment.

The government’s ill-conceived concept of ‘grey belt’ is further promoted and extended in the proposals. Nature recovery and climate resilience are treated as secondary considerations rather than fundamental planning principles.

Together with the changes to the “standard method”, the new draft NPPF will result in housing targets for Local Plans which are impossible to meet and lead to local planning authorities (LPAs) being incapable of maintaining a five-year housing supply. This then triggers a continuous flood of speculative planning applications and consents but leaves local authorities without any means of enforcing delivery, thus adding to already unacceptable land-banking and no way of clearing the backlog.

Our formal response, and how you can respond

We have submitted our response to the proposed changes, which you can download here and use as a guideline for your own response if you wish.

Download our consultation response

See the government’s full suite of consultation documents here, along with details of how to respond and where to send your response.

Government NPPF consultation documents

You may wish to respond selectively to specific consultation questions. Our colleagues at National CPRE have published guidance on several of the questions, which you may find useful.

National CPRE consultation guidance

Help make a difference

Please do respond to this consultation. It’s an important opportunity to explain how the proposed changes will affect your local community.

All responses are reviewed by civil servants, who analyse the themes and levels of support or concern raised. Clear, individual responses help show how people feel about particular policies in practice.