Planning framework republication delayed as Burnham becomes PM

Andy Burnham takes office as prime minister today, and his new appointment has been cited as the main reason that the long-awaited revised National Planning Policy Framework will not be published before Parliament rises for summer recess.

The revised NPPF had been expected to follow a consultation that closed in March, incorporating national development management policies and a reworked presumption in favour of what the draft calls "suitably located development." But now that publication is on hold.

Proposed changes

The consultation draft set out some of the most significant amendments to national planning policy since 2012, including a shift towards national decision-making policies sitting alongside local plan-making policies – something that sits awkwardly alongside Burnham's devolution agenda.

Another amendment was a revised presumption in favour of sustainable development, reframed around suitable location rather than settlement boundaries, with that presumption being applied both within and outside existing settlements.

None of this is yet in force. However, the buffer requirement affecting councils with outdated housing plans, which took effect on 1 July, stands separately and is unaffected by today's delay.

Where industry sentiment sits

Property figures have been vocal in the run-up to Burnham's premiership. Speaking after his Manchester speech in late June, several called for a review of the draft NPPF alongside business rates reform, arguing the current draft strips regional authorities of the freedom to address climate and nature resilience locally.
Others welcomed the emphasis on devolution and council house building as the clearest proposal for the sector in some years. The mood is one of qualified optimism, tempered by a request for clarity on timing.

Next steps for planning reform – and Burnham

Burnham has said relatively little on the record about his specific intentions for planning policy, as much of the current commentary relies on interpretations of his Manchester speech rather than a confirmed government position.

The practical question for the second half of 2026 is whether the delay is simply procedural, allowing a new administration to review before signing off, or whether it signals a more substantive rethink of the current consultation draft.

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