The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) introduced the presumption in favour of sustainable development so that sustainable development is pursued in a positive way. There are three dimensions to sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. .
For plan-making this means that:
- plans should positively seek opportunities to meet the development needs of their area and be sufficiently flexible to adapt to rapid change;
- strategic policies contained within local plans should, as a minimum, provide for objectively assessed needs for housing and other uses, unless:
- the application of policies in the NPPF that protect areas or assets of particular importance provides a strong reason for restricting the overall scale, type or distribution of development in the plan area; or
- any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the NPPF taken as a whole.
For decision-taking this means:
- approving development proposals that accord with an up-to-date development plan without delay; or
- where there are no relevant development plan policies or relevant policies are out-of-date, granting permission unless:
- the application of policies in the NPPF that protect areas or assets of particular importance provide a clear reason for refusing the development proposed; or
- any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the NPPF taken as a whole.
The presumption in favour of sustainable development does not change the statutory status of the development plan as the starting point for decision making.