By Laura Potts, MRTPI, Planning Consultant, CAD Planning
On 16th December 2025, the UK government published its proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed described the proposed reforms as “the most significant rewrite of planning rules in more than a decade.” The proposals will enable the building of hundreds of thousands of new homes in the biggest housebuilding surge in a generation, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said in a statement.
A major consultation is now underway and open until March 2026.
The proposed reforms are designed to speed up delivery of high-quality homes across every region of the UK. The proposed changes will help optimise land use through well-designed, higher-density development, with simplified biodiversity rules for smaller sites and a fast-track system for good housing projects that meet national standards for energy efficiency, MHCLG said.
Key changes include:
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simpler rules for SME builders
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streamlined biodiversity requirements for smaller and brownfield sites.
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a default “yes” for well-designed homes near rail stations (a measure announced last month) and approval for new homes ‘building upwards’ in town centres
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fast track approvals for schemes meeting energy and design standards
The plans will make it easier for developers – particularly SME builders – to build higher density housing such as flats on smaller sites and under-used land ‘where appropriate’, and a new ‘medium site’ category will be introduced for sites of between 10 and 49 homes so SME builders face proportionate rules and costs for their site size, including considering a possible exemption from the Building Safety Levy.
Other measures include streamlining standards on energy efficiency, preferential treatment for developments that strengthen local economies and provide new services, encouraging a more diverse mix of housing such as rural affordable homes and accessible homes, and nature-friendly features in new builds.
The measures will pave the way for a stable, rules-based system where developments that meet clear standards can move quickly from plans to construction, MHCLG said.
The government said the measures are another major step forward in its “unrelenting focus to build 1.5 million high-quality homes, create jobs, and bolster clean, homegrown energy in every corner of the country – tackling record-high housing waiting lists and supporting the dream of homeownership for working families.”
It is also reaffirming its commitment to back housebuilders through a package of wide-ranging measures to ramp up housing and infrastructure delivery, including working with local authorities to create new standard house designs to build more high-quality homes through modern methods of construction, and ‘pressing ahead’ with the modernisation of planning committees for elected councillors to focus on the most significant proposals, with smaller housing projects decided more quickly by planning officers.
Biodiversity Net Gain rules – which currently require developers to ensure habitats for wildlife are left in ‘a measurably better state than they were before development’ – will also be simplified for SME developers.
At CAD Planning, the leading independent planning consultancy in Cornwall, we welcome these progressive reforms and look forward to seeing the outcome of the consultation process. We are particularly pleased to see recognition of the importance of rural affordable housing and support to encourage more SME builders, both of which are highly relevant to our region, as well as the overall focus on sustainable development while protecting the natural environment.
These changes will build on top of the planning overhaul last year, which alone saw the OBR forecast the highest level of UK housebuilding in over 40 years and £6.8 billion added to the UK economy by the end of this decade. These forecasts also do not account for pro-growth reforms in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which has received Royal Assent and became law on 18th December 2025.
The government has launched a consultation on the revamped National Planning Policy Framework, which is open until 10 March 2026. Find out more here.
National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system
All in all, this is a time of unprecedented rapid change in planning laws, as the government seeks to speed up housebuilding, and we would urge any developers or housebuilders considering a project to speak to us at CAD Planning for the latest expert advice.
Get in touch today at info@cad-planning.co.uk