It marks a significant departure from the previous iteration introduced by the Conservatives in December 2023 and is a welcome step forward in translating the Government’s rhetoric—about getting “Britain Building” and prioritising “builders not blockers”—into tangible action.

There is certainly a case for cautious optimism. From a very baseline level, a greater sense of stability and clarity is something that the industry has been crying out for. In recent years, a revision of the NPPF has always been around the corner with each iteration failing to be fully embedded before the next suite of politically motivated changes (the last version lasted less than 360 days!). We can expect a more consistent approach from this Government. More tangibly, a significant shift in expectations on local authorities to identify sites, make more land available for development, and grant permissions is much needed but is just one part of the process. The Government’s “common-sense approach” to greenbelt land seeks to tread a fine line, and while it will certainly ruffle the feathers of the green lobby, it retains a fairly high bar for developers to clear in terms of infrastructure provision, along with a 15% affordable housing premium on sites that likely already require substantial remediation costs, which adds a significant additional viability challenge.

The NPPF follows a series of other significant announcements, including proposals for a major overhaul of how decisions are made and additional funding for local authorities. Taken as a whole, such moves signal a genuine commitment to housing delivery, in stark contrast to the piecemeal efforts of past administrations, which often tinkered around the edges and folded in the face of that most maligned group – The NIMBYs. By making housing delivery a central plank of Labour’s platform, adopting a confidently YIMBY position —and with Deputy PM Angela Rayner at the forefront—this Government has demonstrated a level of seriousness and willingness to expend political capital that has often seemed lacking in the past.

All that being said, the idea of the NPPF ‘overhaul’ fixing the housing crisis ‘once and for all’ - with lofty targets of 370,000 new homes to be built per year—seems unrealistic given previous levels of delivery, or more accurately, under-delivery. While this week’s announcement represents a crucial step forward, it alone won’t be enough to address the housing crisis. People can’t live in planning permissions—they need homes to be built. While the planning process remains flawed—too slow, inefficient, and costly—the biggest challenge facing the industry is getting these projects off the ground once they are consented. While last year saw the lowest number of consents granted in recent years, there remain hundreds of thousands of consented but unbuilt homes, many of these affordable homes.

Viability remains a perennial problem, with developers and Government at all levels at odds over what can be delivered. Increased regulation, rising construction costs, a shortage of skilled labour, and a lack of funding for Registered Social Landlords to push forward affordable delivery, in particular, are just a few of the key barriers that need addressing. There is no silver bullet or quick fix, and we are taking the necessary first steps; but without tackling key issues like these in tandem, the ambition to “Get Britain Building” risks remaining merely an ambition.