Planning shake-up ‘that will guard countryside’ unveiled

Sweeping reforms of the planning system will deliver homes and jobs while protecting Britain’s countryside, ministers insisted today.

The Government unveiled its long-awaited planning strategy which contains a presumption in favour of “sustainable development”.

A draft of the slimmed-down National Planning Policy Framework last year sparked fears that vast swathes of the countryside could be put at risk.

Today planning minister Greg Clark said the final document contained “robust protection for our natural and historic environment”. It replaces 1,300 pages of what Mr Clark described as “impenetrable jargon” with 50 pages of “clearly-written guidance”.

The measures aim to boost growth and tackle Britain’s housing crisis, and include an explicit return to “brownfield first” which requires councils to favour previously used land for new development. It will also favour town centres for development.

“The purpose of planning is to help make the way we live our lives tomorrow better than it is today,” Mr Clark told MPs. “This National Planning Policy Framework will help build the homes the next generation needs. It supports growth to allow employers to create jobs our constituents need.”

Retailers and property groups welcomed the new regime. The Campaign to Protect Rural England gave cautious backing to countryside protections.

But Labour warned the reforms could cause “chaos and confusion” and lead to legal challenges. Greenpeace described them as “misguided, dangerous and wrong”.