NALC brings together national stakeholders to shape planning reforms

We have brought together leading planning voices to help shape our response to the government's proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The roundtable attended by representatives from the Better Planning Coalition, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Royal Town Planning Institute, planning consultancy O'Neill Homer, the Society of Local Council Clerks, alongside the chair and vice-chair of our Policy Committee, provided an opportunity to test emerging positions, share expertise and assess what the reforms could mean in practice for parish and town councils and the communities they serve.

We opened the meeting with an overview of our baseline positions on the NPPF reforms, including the need for a stronger focus on the planning system, the future of neighbourhood planning, proposals around grey belt land and ongoing protections for the green belt. Stakeholders then shared their own perspectives, highlighting areas of alignment as well as key concerns.

Given the scale and technical nature of the consultation, the discussion proved particularly valuable in distilling the most significant implications for parish and town councils and communities. Stakeholders reflected on how the proposed reforms could affect local democratic input, community-led planning and the long-term stewardship of places.

The roundtable reinforced the importance of collaboration across the planning sector. It ensured that our response to the consultation is grounded in expert insight and the lived experience of parish and town councils. We will continue to champion the role of parish and town councils in shaping sustainable, locally responsive planning policy as the reforms progress.