Town planning policy & legislation

Policy, legislation and guidance produced by the government or its designated bodies. Use adopted sections if you wish to see only policy or legislation in force or emerging sections if you are looking for consultation documents where central government is inviting opinion prior to the implementation of policy or legislation.

Adopted Policy & Guidance

Here you will find the most recently published government policy and guidance. These are all documents that have been adopted upon publication.

Consultations & Emerging Policy

Latest consultations and reports on government policy and guidance.

Fresh thinking on the DCP blog

Inspector gadget
22 October 2018
We all have to keep up with the times, including inspectors. An inspector determining an appeal relating to a 49-storey mixed use building in east London (DCS Number 200-007-957...
Where else?
19 October 2018
An inspector has granted retrospective planning permission for a treehouse at a house in Hampshire after disagreeing with the council that it was a highly visible, obtrusive and incongruous...
Supply and demand
17 October 2018
An inspector determining an appeal against the refusal of outline planning permission for four dwellings in rural Hampshire has distinguished between housing demand and housing need...

Policy & Legislation News

Seven things you need to know about the Planning for Housing conference

By David Dewar, 18 October 2018

The Planning for Housing conference, organised by Planning, took place in London last week. Here are seven key messages we picked up from last week's event.

High Court blocks council's bid to overturn appeal allowing nine 'eco homes' in countryside

By Court reporter, 12 October 2018

A council's attempt to overturn an appeal decision allowing plans for nine environmentally-friendly 'eco homes' in countryside in Nottinghamshire has failed in the High Court.

Briefing Notes

Parliamentary briefing documents on adopted and emerging policy/legislation

Policy & Legislation In Depth

How inspectors are interpreting the NPPF's demands for better design

Revised national planning policy introduces new requirements for authorities and applicants that aim to boost design quality in new schemes. But how is it playing out on the ground, Colin Marrs asks.

Briefing: What updated practice guidance means for neighbourhood planning

Revised guidance offers clarity on how plans should meet housing requirements, writes Chris Bowden.

Policy Summary: Government responds to select committee on housing for older people

POLICY: Government response to the second report of session 2017-19 of the housing, communities and local government select committee inquiry into housing for older people

Briefing: How changes to the five-year land supply rules will affect authorities

Key changes to the NPPF will reset the rules governing the five-year land supply test, say Felicity Tozer and Jon Gateley.

Ten things we learned at the Conservative Party conference

Housing and planning featured heavily at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham this year. Here are ten key messages we picked up from last week's event.

Interview: Kit Malthouse, housing and planning minister

The housing and planning minister speaks exclusively to Planning about housing need, developer contributions and plans for the Oxford-to-Cambridge corridor.

Policy Summary: The Scottish government's aims for the next stage of its planning bill

POLICY: Review of the Scottish Planning System: Technical Paper - Updates to Inform Stage Two.

Rethink the cap that prevents acknowledged need from being met, by Richard Garlick

Future annual housing need in England will be about 25 per cent lower than previously envisaged, following the publication last week of the 2016-based household projections. That is the broad consensus of various consultants who have spoken to Planning in recent days.

Policy & Legislation

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Adopted Legislation

Legislation In Progress

Key Topics