TO BE PUBLISHED October 2026
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This conference will focus on next steps for the planning system and housebuilding in England.
With the Government recently consulting on the new draft National Planning Policy Framework, and with measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 aimed at speeding up housing delivery, reforming planning processes and strengthening regional decision-making, the conference will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss implementation at local, regional and national levels as reform moves from policy into delivery.
The agenda considers implications of measures for system co-ordination, developer certainty, statutory consultee responsibilities and community input, as well as the capacity of planning authorities and the integration of design, infrastructure and environmental objectives.
National Planning Policy Framework & wider planning reform
With the Government’s consultation response on the draft NPPF expected this summer, sessions will examine implementation of key measures, including revised policy approaches to development location, density expectations, and updated treatment of brownfield land, the Grey Belt, rural areas and the Green Belt.
Attendees will also consider the wider effects of these changes on viability, delivery and interpretation in practice, alongside early experience of new mechanisms and requirements as schemes come forward.
Areas for discussion include:
- policy: revised approaches to development location - treatment of Green Belt, Grey Belt and rural land - implications for site allocation and planning decisions
- developers: Section 106 reform and land value capture - implications for infrastructure funding - effects on scheme viability and delivery
- site requirements: new expectations for medium-sized sites - impact on SME developers - implications for pipeline diversity and build-out rates
- impacts and viability: effects on density, costs and pace of delivery - interaction with borrowing conditions - implications for investor confidence
- legal interpretation: application of new policy in planning decisions - scope for legal challenge - consistency across planning authorities
- transitional effects: impact of new duties on short-term output - adjustment costs for developers and authorities - early delivery constraints
- future policy: priorities ahead of the 2026 Autumn Budget - options for further legislative change - approaches to streamlining housing delivery
Spatial Development Strategies, local plan reform, governance & co-ordination
Sessions will consider implementation of Spatial Development Strategies alongside local plans, including definition and exercise of responsibilities, and the alignment of strategic and local priorities across different areas.
Delegates will also assess practicalities for the proposed local plan system, including plan preparation processes, co-ordination across boundaries, and the capacity and resourcing of planning authorities as reforms are introduced.
Areas for discussion:
- implementation:
- approaches to preparing and applying SDSs - alignment with local plans - emerging models of practice
- operation of the Gateway process - consultation requirements - feasibility of the 30-month timetable
- cross-boundary working: consistency across local planning authority areas - co-ordination of strategic priorities - mechanisms for joint planning
- planning authority capacity: workforce skills and resourcing pressures - implications for local planning authority performance - recruitment and retention
- governance: roles of strategic authorities and unitary structures - implications of devolution and reorganisation - decision-making frameworks
- co-ordination: joint-working for developers, infrastructure providers and communities - approaches to large-scale regeneration
- planning powers: use of Mayoral Development Orders and development corporation powers - practical application - implications for delivery timelines
Housing mix & practical delivery
Attendees will consider the practical application of reform to support housebuilding ambitions, including implications for funding, site delivery and the range of housing provision across different markets and locations.
Discussion will also consider the alignment of delivery with wider economic and community needs, including the role of smaller sites and rural development.
Areas for discussion:
- funding: role of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme - priorities for the New Homes Accelerator - implications for pace of delivery
- brownfield: use of a Brownfield Passport - support for delivery on urban sites - interaction with viability and planning requirements
- SMEs: role of small and medium-sized sites - addressing barriers facing SME housebuilders - approaches to improving access and participation
- housing mix: diversity in the range of tenures and types - alignment with local needs - implications for planning decisions
- place alignment: co-ordination with jobs, services and infrastructure - integration with public spaces - longer-term community considerations
- rural delivery: changes affecting Rural Exception Sites - supporting appropriate growth - implications for rural economies and businesses
Nature recovery & environmental protection
The agenda will consider approaches to embedding environmental requirements within the reformed planning system, looking at delivery of nature recovery measures alongside development.
Sessions will also assess early experience of new mechanisms and their implications for delivery, viability and long-term environmental outcomes.
Areas for discussion:
- environmental protection: rollout of Environmental Delivery Plans - operation of the Nature Restoration Fund - early implementation experience
- biodiversity: integration of Biodiversity Net Gain and local nature recovery priorities - implications for site design and land use
- regulation: role of bodies such as Natural England - proportionality across site types - treatment of smaller and brownfield schemes
- monitoring: approaches to reporting and long-term stewardship - data requirements - accountability for environmental outcomes
- development viability: impact on land values and development density - interaction with scheme economics - implications for delivery decisions
- land co-ordination: working with farmers, landowners and environmental NGOs - models for collaboration - alignment of priorities
Design, energy efficiency & building standards
Further sessions assess progress in embedding high-quality design, placemaking and sustainability following the expected publication of updated Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance. Discussion will consider how design expectations are being applied in practice, including interaction between national standards, local design codes and site-specific considerations.
The agenda will also examine preparation for new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and low-carbon requirements under the Future Homes Standard, including implications for construction costs, viability and delivery.
Areas for discussion:
- design standards: application of updated design and placemaking guidance - interaction between national standards and local design codes - site-specific considerations
- implementation best practice: embedding design expectations in planning decisions - consistency across planning authorities - role of design review processes
- energy standards: preparation for Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and the Future Homes Standard - implications for construction and delivery
- costs: impact of low-carbon requirements on viability - interaction with wider build costs - implications for scheme feasibility
- regulation: co-ordination with building safety requirements - oversight frameworks - clarity for developers and planning authorities
- readiness: skills, capacity and supply chain capability - preparedness for new standards - implications for delivery timelines
- enforcement: practicalities of applying and monitoring new requirements - consistency across authorities - resource implications for planning authorities
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Transport; and HM Revenue and Customs.
