Have your say on the future of planning: the NPPF needs your views
To have their voices heard on planning applications, business developments and other planning issues, CLA members are encouraged to respond to the latest NPPF consultation by 10 March
With the UK Government consulting on significant changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), it’s an ideal time for rural land and property owners to have their say on the planning system.
The CLA has been working over the past couple of months to prepare a response that captures the views of all our members. Feedback has been provided from members at various national and branch committees, and we will be submitting our response to the Ministry for Housing and Local Government (MHCLG) by the deadline of 10 March.
The consultation covers a wide range of areas. These include long-awaited reforms to reduce excessive information requirements for planning applications, new approaches to development inside and outside settlements, strengthened support for rural business development, and improved delivery of rural exception sites and affordable rural housing. Many of these proposals reflect longstanding CLA lobbying, but members can also engage directly with the consultation to secure meaningful and practical outcomes.
How you can respond to the consultation
Many proposals present both opportunities and challenges to landowners, rural businesses and farming enterprises. We have therefore prepared a template for questions we deem of significant relevance to CLA members.
To help you respond, the template outlines the key issues and CLA position for each individual question. Using this template ensures your feedback is clear, consistent, and aligned with the wider CLA position, while still allowing you to reflect your individual opinions. We urge members who opt to respond to the consultation to ensure that their responses are clear and individual.
The deadline for submissions is 10 March 2026.
We encourage all members to download the template, tailor it with your own experiences and send your response to the government as soon as possible.
The CLA template can be accessed here and the overall NPPF consultation can be accessed here.
An explanatory note to aid members in their consultation response can be found here.
Responses can be made online here or emailed to PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk.
Alternatively, members can write to:
Planning Policy Consultation Team,
Planning Directorate – Planning Policy Division,
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government,
Floor 3, Fry Building,
2 Marsham Street,
London,
SW1P 4DF
If you have questions or need further guidance, please get in touch with the CLA team.
