The Golden Rules
The December 2024 version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) introduced the Golden Rules, but what does this mean?
In very simple terms, if development is allowed on the Green Belt, whether as grey belt or under very special circumstances, the development must deliver three things.
1. 50% of the housing must meet the affordable housing criteria.
2. An area of new public open space must be made available within the development, or the development must have good access to existing nearby public open space.
3. There must be a contribution to infrastructure, whether on site or through a financial contribution.
These three conditions must be met to obtain planning consent and will be secured via a legal Section 106 agreement.
When it comes to affordable housing it’s easy to determine as it’s a fixed proportion, but with regard to public open space and infrastructure contributions it is open to wide interpretation.
From what we have seen from the Green Belt planning applications approved since December 2024, these conditions have been adhered to. This doesn’t make them any easier to accept but at least some public value is being obtained from development.
In very simple terms, if development is allowed on the Green Belt, whether as grey belt or under very special circumstances, the development must deliver three things.
1. 50% of the housing must meet the affordable housing criteria.
2. An area of new public open space must be made available within the development, or the development must have good access to existing nearby public open space.
3. There must be a contribution to infrastructure, whether on site or through a financial contribution.
These three conditions must be met to obtain planning consent and will be secured via a legal Section 106 agreement.
When it comes to affordable housing it’s easy to determine as it’s a fixed proportion, but with regard to public open space and infrastructure contributions it is open to wide interpretation.
From what we have seen from the Green Belt planning applications approved since December 2024, these conditions have been adhered to. This doesn’t make them any easier to accept but at least some public value is being obtained from development.
