NPPF - people at the heart of campaign

I have always believed that developments need to be in consultation with local people and that Green-belt should be protected.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has publicly "welcomed" the proposed revisions to the NPPF.
 
I am pleased that the revised NPPF gives further clarification to the existing strong protections for the Green Belt. It sets out the steps which a local planning authority must take before concluding that "exceptional circumstances" exist to allow boundaries of the Green Belt to be altered. I am confident this will help protect the Green Belt in our local community. Furthermore, I am pleased that the revised NPPF reaffirms protections for areas of outstanding national beauty and national parks.
 
The draft NPPF will also introduce a new standardised approach to assessing housing need which help to ensure that new homes are delivered in areas of high demand. I am also pleased that the revised NPPF sets out the need to prioritise the use of brownfield land and the importance of delivering more affordable housing. Furthermore, like the CPRE, I welcome that the draft NPPF "clarifies the primacy of local and neighbourhood plan policies in determining planning applications".
 
I am confident that the reforms to planning outlined in the draft NPPF will help address the housing crisis, building on the progress which the Government has already made, including delivering more than 1.1 million homes since 2010. Houses are needed to be built in the right areas so that more people can have the opportunity of owning their own home.