Government has launched a consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework, which the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has called a “significant step” towards supporting producers.
Key revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework include preferential treatment for developments that strengthen local economies and provide new services, including food production, shops and leisure facilities.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) highlighted that this was expected to “reduce red tape, speed up applications and support investment in modern facilities”, including those aimed at improving welfare standards.
NFU went on to say that farmers and growers will be able to spend less time navigating complex planning rules and more time focusing on food production, investing in their businesses and supporting rural employment. This change should help small family farms remain competitive and resilient in the face of rising costs and regulatory pressures, said NFU, meaning more ability for agriculture to play a key role in contributing to the nation’s economic growth.
Government said the measures would “pave the way” for a rules-based system where developments that meet clear standards “can move quickly from plans to construction”. It has proposed that the changes effectively overrride conflicting policies, so everyone is “working from the same rulebook”.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed commented that the current planning was “not working well enough”, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves stating that the economy was being “held back”.
A “modernised” planning system
NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos said: “The Government’s proposed consultation is a clear indication of its intent to modernise the planning system and make it work better for farming businesses. We agree with Secretary of State Steve Reed that the current system is not working well enough and must change to allow our members’ businesses to grow and invest in the future.
“The changes to the Principle of Development would, if implemented, be a significant step forward in making planning simpler and more supportive of farming businesses.
“Water access is also of utmost importance to many agricultural businesses – particularly those in the horticultural sector – and stronger support for reservoirs in the National Planning Policy Framework means farmers and growers are one step closer to securing reliable access to clean water, safeguarding the UK’s future food security.
“Farmers remain committed to caring for the countryside and enhancing the natural environment. With simplified rules, the sector will continue to play a vital role in protecting biodiversity, maintaining hedgerows, improving soil health and safeguarding water quality. These reforms help provide a fairer framework that allows them to balance environmental care with the urgent need to produce healthy, sustainable and affordable food for the nation.
“Planning reform has been a consistent priority for the NFU in its discussion with Government – from meetings with the Prime Minister to ongoing work with Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle. It was also a key issue raised with Steve Reed during his former role at Defra, and it is encouraging to see our concerns are being listened to.
“We look forward to engaging with the Government on its newly announced plans for a consultation around BNG exemptions for smaller sites, alongside the announcements around further permitted developments for agriculture expected to come next year.
“There is a lot of detail in the Government’s announcement which we are reviewing, and we look forward to working with it and wider stakeholders when the upcoming consultation response and implementation timeline are published in the new year.”
National Pig Association (NPA) chief executive Lizzie Wilson welcomed the proposals: “Planning is key to so many of the different challenges farmers face, whether it’s improving animal welfare or environmental sustainability and helping us to deliver on government ambitions around water quality,” she said.
“Any changes that unblock the planning system and help farmers meet these challenges are welcome, and we are pleased that these proposals seem to go some way towards achieving that.
“Within the planning process, there needs to be an inherent understanding of the need for and importance of agricultural infrastructure in a viable and environmentally sensitive agricultural business, and a mechanism to facilitate this, ultimately delivering national food security, net zero targets and enabling government’s ambitions with regard to land use change, the Farming Roadmap and the Food Strategy.”
