Henry and Duncan put the Planning Reforms in context... over a pint in the Dog & Duck
The conversation takes place in October 2026, following the publication of the revised NPPF.
HENRY: There you go, Duncan. A pint of Bricklayers IPA. Now, I hear you've been getting rather excited about planning reform.
DUNCAN: Excited? Henry, we're witnessing one of the biggest changes to the English planning system in a generation!
HENRY: Easy tiger, It’s just a pint! What are the highlights?
DUNCAN: Well, the Government is trying to make the planning system genuinely plan-led again. But this time, with a much stronger expectation that plans actually provide for the homes England needs – all of them not some of them.
HENRY: Hang on. I thought we already had a plan-led system?
DUNCAN: In theory, yes. Since 2004, planning decisions have been supposed to follow the development plan unless there are good reasons otherwise. But there's been a rather obvious problem - Councils haven't always produced up-to-date Local Plans. And even when they have, those plans haven't necessarily provided for all the homes needed.
HENRY: Ah, yes. The old trick of deciding how many houses you want and then finding a way to justify the number.
DUNCAN: Well, that's one criticism. And when councils don't plan for enough homes, developers bring forward sites outside the plan. Applications get refused, appeals follow, and the Planning Inspectorate ends up making decisions that should arguably have been settled through the Local Plan.
HENRY: So, instead of planning where development should go, we're arguing about individual sites?
DUNCAN: Exactly. And that's what the reforms are trying to change. And they want the Local Plans to be up to tackling the Housing Crisis. Nice pint by the way, it is almost impossible to find a Bricklayer these days.
HENRY: That's all very well, but what happens when a council genuinely can't accommodate its housing need? Take somewhere with substantial Green Belt restrictions.
DUNCAN: That's where Spatial Development Strategies come in. The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 establishes a system of strategic planning across England, building on arrangements already familiar in places such as London.
HENRY: Meaning?
DUNCAN: Instead of every council planning in isolation, strategic planning authorities will look across wider areas to determine where housing, employment and infrastructure should be provided.
HENRY: So, a council can't simply say, "Sorry, no room here. Not our problem"?
DUNCAN: That's the idea. Strategic planning allows housing need and development opportunities to be considered across administrative boundaries.
HENRY: And what happens to Local Plans?
DUNCAN: They sit beneath the strategic framework. An SDS establishes the broader distribution of development, including housing requirements for individual planning authority areas. Local Plans then identify the actual sites and detailed local policies.
HENRY: So, the strategic plan decides broadly how much and where, and the Local Plan works out precisely how?
DUNCAN: You have a way with words Henry, and I’m not just saying that because you’re my boss. Here’s the thing - once a housing requirement has been established through an SDS, it normally shouldn't be reopened and argued over during the Local Plan process.
HENRY: That could save an awful lot of time.
DUNCAN: Potentially. But the nationwide SDS system is just being implemented, and to a certain extent depends on Mayors and combined authorities everywhere to make it happen. We haven't suddenly got comprehensive strategic plans covering all of England.
HENRY: So the reforms will bring forward plans, and the plans will provide a pretty decent platform for meeting the Housing Crisis, which currently leaves over 170,000 kids waking up in temporary accommodation? Sounds hopeful…
DUNCAN: Absolutely! But you should hear what is happening to the making of Local Plans, the role of councillors and committees, early consultation with communities, and what happens when a Council doesn’t make a plan. It will blow your mind. Could I try a pint of Sparky Ale or a Chippy Lager if you can find one?
HENRY: I’ll see what I can do about a Sparky or a Chippy old boy… sadly they don’t sell those lovely inexpensive Eastern European ones here anymore…. But I hear down the road the Burnham Arms is planning to start serving them again!
To be continued…