The Implications of The Elusive NDMP

With Parliament now in summer recess the highly anticipated consultation on the draft national development management policies (NDMPs), a key plank of the new plan making system, is delayed yet again. 

Shortly after taking office, in July 2024, the Government consulted on its proposed planning reforms, which under the heading ‘we will act swiftly to implement these reforms to bring stability and certainty to the sector’ included mention of its intention to consult on NDMPs. The Government’s response to that consultation highlighted their intention to ‘consult on future policy changes, including a set of national policies for decision making in Spring 2025’. The Government’s response to the July 2023 plan making reforms consultation, published in February 2025, highlighted their intention to ‘make available as much information as possible to plan-makers ahead of implementing the new system’. We would argue this must include sight of the draft NDMPs given their status under the new plan making system. 

For the uninitiated, the principal legal provisions for the creation of NDMPs were brought in by the previous Government under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA) almost 2 years ago, with the purpose of streamlining the plan making process by reducing duplication and improving consistency, to facilitate a greater focus on locally specific matters within local plans. A sensible objective! Consequently, the LURA provisions make clear that local plans can neither conflict with nor duplicate NDMPs. Fairly strong stuff! 

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So, what will local plan policies be able to address in this new plan making world?

Well, that would of course depend on the content of NDMPs, which unless you’re a regular at 2 Marsham Street you won’t know. That said, we could hazard a guess. Policies that apply equally across the country, or at least large parts of it, are prime NDMP candidates. General design, heritage, and green belt policies fall neatly into this category, and are the subject of well-established National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) policies. 

A secondary uncertainty that has emerged of late is whether the Government will implement NDMPs through the LURA provisions or as Government policy similar to the current NPPF and Planning Practice Guidance. While there are no doubt challenges to the former, if the Government is serious about realising the aforementioned benefits of a streamlined and consistent set of statutory planning policies it is the only real option. Further uncertainty will have significant plan making implications, the most obvious of which being the need for local authorities to progress a full suite of policies in the event the LURA provisions aren’t utilised. 

In the meantime, a significant number of local planning authorities are working hard to submit their plans before the December 2026 deadline for examination under the current system. However, for many authorities there is an acceptance that they will be working under the new plan making system.  This comes with a multitude of uncertainties at this time, especially given the new plan making system is effectively in draft form with substantial elements yet to emerge.  This second option brings with it the additional challenge, presumably because LPAs could do with a few more things on their to-do lists, of having to bring forward plans with as little abortive work as possible.  

You could say that the Government pulling together a suite of NDMPs is fairly fundamental to the successful role out of the new plan making system. Let’s hope we see those draft NDMPs sometime soon! 

It shouldn’t be forgotten that the implications of NDMPs are just one of many hurdles for LPAs to negotiate, alongside local government reorganisation, devolution and the associated preparation of Spatial Development Strategies,  continued resource and recruitment pressures, and new towns amongst many others.  

On a more positive note, there is plenty that local authorities can be doing in the meantime which will place them in good stead to tackle the new system, including project management, risk and resource assessments, and scoping non-abortive work.  Our team of planners have experience of providing local plan support across the country making DAC Planning perfectly placed to help you navigate the current and future plan making systems. 

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How we can help

DAC Planning has extensive experience and understanding of plan making, and provides dedicated support to local authorities nationally.

For a discussion on how we can assist you, please get in touch with the team:

admin@dacplanning.com / 01206 688103

This information is for general informative purposes only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, DAC Planning accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from its use.