MHCLG publishes letters on revised NPPF reforms
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published letters from the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, to housing industry stakeholders, dated 13 December 2024, and to local authority leaders, mayors, and chief executives of local authorities, dated 12 December 2024. These letters outline key reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including a new standard method for assessing housing needs, increasing the national target to 370,000 homes annually, and modernising the green belt policy, among other reforms. The letters also address the increase in planning fees to enhance local planning authority (LPA) resources. In addition, the MHCLG has published a letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook, to the President of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), Lindsey Richards, dated 12 December 2024. This letter highlights the critical role of professional planners in addressing the housing crisis and details funding commitments to support the capacity and capability of LPAs, including £14.8m in immediate grant funding and £49m for planning reform implementation in 2025/26.