The number of planning consents granted annually in England has remained well above the national housing need figure. But with the UN calling the 2020s a “decade of action” to deliver sustainability goals, and UK required to meet net zero carbon emissions by 2050, it is no longer adequate to focus only on the quantity of homes being consented.

Our latest planning research considers how far the NPPF reaches its goal of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development, looking at the location of development in relation to employment and infrastructure, and questioning whether it is promoting the most environmentally friendly way of living and working. We have also carried out an in depth assessment of land use in the green belt, seeking to identify where there could be opportunities to carry out strategic reviews to meet housing need in some of the least affordable locations in the UK and at the same time make best use of existing public transport infrastructure.

Our regular update on local plan coverage, housing land supply and Housing Delivery Test projections is available in the PDF download on the right-hand side of this page.

_{Read the articles within Planning for Sustainable Growth below.}