Morning, Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
Online
This conference will consider the way forward for managing competing demands on land use in England, examining key issues following the Government’s recently published Land Use Framework for England.
The conference is being organised as an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to assess priorities in light of measures in the Framework - as well as its interaction with wider policy, including the revised National Planning Policy Framework and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.
The discussion will draw together latest thinking on strategic options for moving towards the Framework’s proposals for coordinated and multifunctional landscapes, including questions around balancing food production, nature recovery, housing and energy infrastructure, and opportunities for cross-sector working to work to the strengths of the land. We expect discussion on the allocation of 7% of land to be for nature and renewables, and the incentives and levers that might be needed to support this, application of biodiversity regulations and Environmental Impact Assessments, as well as funding and support mechanisms, particularly for tenant and smaller farms.
Delegates will examine the four new land use principles set out in the Framework and their application at national and local levels. Planned sessions will explore trade-offs and governance arrangements for land-use decisions, considering approaches to coordination between productive farmland, food security objectives, legally binding nature and climate targets, and planning and infrastructure priorities, alongside ways to provide greater consistency and predictability in decision-making. Discussion will also examine how the Land Use Framework in England can be effectively embedded within planning and infrastructure processes, including the potential role of a National Spatial Framework, and how clarity can be provided for land managers, farmers, developers, regulators, and local communities.
The agenda also will examine the role of data, decision-support tools, and monitoring at local and national levels. This includes the use and updating of land classification and biodiversity datasets, the development of accessible decision-support tools for planners and land managers, and monitoring arrangements to help identify and mitigate unintended impacts on soils, habitats, or productive land. Community engagement and place-based planning will also be discussed, including practical approaches to how housing, transport, and local services are considered alongside other land-use priorities.
Further planned sessions will review practical delivery mechanisms to support multifunctional land-use outcomes. Discussion will examine approaches to funding, prioritisation, and compensation, as well as the potential impacts of accelerated housing and infrastructure delivery on higher-quality agricultural land. Delegates will also consider models for co-location, such as agrivoltaics, drawing on emerging evidence from pilot projects, alongside the role of private finance, insurance, and market-based instruments in supporting multifunctional farming systems, taking account of differences in tenure, farm size, and location.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- decision-making and governance:
- governance arrangements for the Land Use Framework for England - cross-department coordination, accountability, and mechanisms for identifying and addressing potential conflicts at an early stage
- development of new land use principles - application of principles in decision-making at national and local levels
- planning, housing and infrastructure integration:
- embedding the Land Use Framework within spatial development strategies and infrastructure planning - potential role of a National Spatial Framework
- managing pressures arising from housing growth and the energy transition - renewable energy deployment and multifunctional land uses - balancing competing objectives
- siting of infrastructure on higher-grade agricultural land - the role of Environmental Impact Assessments and approaches to community engagement for solar developments
- food security and farmland capability:
- implications of land-use change for food supply and productive land - defining criteria for land release - assessment of food security considerations alongside other policy objectives
- trends in food imports and the timing and conditions for large-scale renewable development on productive agricultural land
- data, tools and monitoring:
- the role of up-to-date and standardised Agricultural Land Classification and biodiversity datasets in supporting consistent and transparent decision-making
- data and monitoring challenges associated with infrastructure development - soil impacts - the potential role of local arrangements and accessible decision-support tools
- nature, biodiversity and multifunctionality:
- aligning environmental objectives with productive land use - appropriate metrics for monitoring outcomes across different land-use types
- considerations around community biodiversity funds and co-location models
- farmer and land manager impacts:
- the design, timing and predictability of support schemes - long-term incentives and implications for tenant and smaller farms
- funding considerations in supporting transitions to multifunctional land uses - compensation approaches and the potential role of private finance
- community and place-based approaches:
- mechanisms for local engagement and for integrating housing, transport and local services into land-use decisions
- place-based planning approaches and locally informed decision-making
