Annual Planning Lecture 2025 – The NPPF
John McLarty
Feb, 12 2025“National planning policy has never been as exciting as it is right now.” –great and good of planning gather for informative Ceres Property Planning Lecture
Labour’s Shake-Up Sparks Optimism
Labour’s promised shake-up of planning laws has resulted in a “notable uplift in sentiment” in the world of planning, investment, and development. The vista of new opportunities now on the horizon is creating a firm belief that “national policy has never been as exciting as it is right now”.
That’s according to the esteemed speakers who presented to over 100 planning, investment, and property development professionals gathered for the first Ceres Property Annual Planning Lecture, in Essex on 7th February.
Confidence in the Future
During his introductory talk, John McLarty, Managing Partner at Ceres Property, asked how many attendees felt confident about the upcoming six months of planning and development in the UK. Over half of those present raised their hands.
This set the tone for an optimistic discussion on the current planning and development landscape, radically reformed by Labour’s revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how they are expected to be applied.
Expert Insights from Industry Leaders
The speakers curated by Ceres Property offered a rare chance to hear directly from a broad range of industry leaders and experts:
- Sarah Ashton, Head of Planning at Braintree District Council, spoke passionately about planning being seen as an opportunity rather than a burden and expressed hope that politicians maintain their engaged approach to planning policy in the years ahead.
- Mary Cook of Town Legal said she has never seen a framework more pro-growth than today’s.
- Sam Hollingsworth, Associate Partner at Ceres Property, highlighted how the government’s new Green Belt policies and mandatory housing targets are correcting the old days of slow planning processes, political uncertainty, and lack of incentives for councillors to approve vital projects. He warned, however, about the “elephant in the room” – the prospect of devolution leading to complex local government reorganisation at a time when streamlined processes are essential.
- Tom Newcombe, Partner and Head of Planning and Environmental at Birketts LLP, raised concerns about the lack of scope in the NPPF to support SME housebuilders or revive struggling town centres.
- James Firth, Partner at Ceres Property, noted that the NPPF has had an “immediate impact” and said the upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be another huge moment for national development. He cautioned that all aspirations depend on the government’s ability to maintain a strong economic environment to support housebuilding.
- Boris White, Partner at Ceres Property and member of the development team, concluded that the NPPF has created “a notable uplift in sentiment” and replaced the long-standing can’t-do attitude in local planning with a strong can-do approach. Confidence is high, and so is the “appetite for land”, particularly strategic land such as Grey Belt sites and those in local authorities with the highest housing requirements.
Overall, he said, “Ceres Property is confident in the market and has already expanded the team to meet demand and help clients capitalise on the opportunities that the coming years will bring.”
A Pivotal Moment for Planning and Development
John McLarty, Managing Partner at Ceres Property, commented:
“This is one of the most important moments in planning and development that our country has seen in many years. Labour has come into power with an incredibly ambitious pledge on housebuilding and strong rhetoric about the need for economic growth. Planning and development are central to fulfilling these ambitions, and success is reliant on the whole sector operating as one cohesive unit.
That’s why we think it’s so important to gather leaders from all corners of the planning and development community to discuss, debate, and share knowledge, all of which will help us play our part in revitalising development across the nation and paving the way for strong economic growth for decades to come.
Thank you to all of the brilliant speakers who took to the stage at this, our first Annual Planning Lecture, and to everyone who came along to make it such a successful event.”