National Planning Policy Framework

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the government’s planning policies for England.

The Framework is an important part of the government’s reforms to make the planning system less complex easier to understand. It vastly reduced the number of policy pages about planning.

The Framework sets out planning policies for England and how they are expected to be applied. It provides guidance for local planning authorities and decision-takers, both in drawing up plans and making decisions about planning applications.

The Framework does not contain specific waste policies, since national waste planning policy will be published as part of the National Waste Management Plan for England.

The Framework should be read in conjunction with the government’s planning policy for traveller sites. Local planning authorities preparing plans and taking decisions on waste on travellers’ sites should also to account of the policies in the Framework.

There are no specific policies for nationally significant infrastructure projects in the Framework. The Secretary of State determines these in accordance with the Planning Act 2008 and relevant national policy statements for major infrastructure, as well as any other matters that are considered both important and relevant (which may include the Framework).

This supersedes all previous Planning Policy Guidance and Planning Policy Statements.