The Planning Advisory Committee of Ealing Council was scheduled to discuss the new draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and climate resilience in the borough. The meeting was intended to provide information and facilitate discussion on these significant policy areas, with no decisions made or actual discussions reported.

The New Draft National Planning Policy Framework

A substantial portion of the meeting was scheduled to be dedicated to reviewing the new draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2025. This framework sets out the government's planning policies for England and is a critical material consideration for both plan-making and decision-making. The draft NPPF aims to make national planning policy more accessible and understandable, establish a comprehensive suite of national policies to avoid repetition in local plans, and make policy more rules-based and certain.

The draft NPPF proposes significant structural changes, including separating plan-making and decision-making policies into distinct chapters. It also introduces new chapters on Securing Clean Energy and Water and Managing Flood Risk and Coastal Change. Key proposed reforms include a permanent presumption in favour of suitably located development, building homes around stations with minimum density requirements, driving urban and suburban densification, and supporting a diverse mix of homes. The framework also aims to streamline local standards, boost local economies, support critical and growth minerals, embed a vision-led approach to transport, better address climate change, conserve and enhance the natural environment, and take a more positive approach to the use of heritage assets.

The report pack provided detailed information on each proposed policy, including plan-making policies (such as those on spatial development strategies, local plans, and evidence for plan-making) and national decision-making policies (covering areas like the principle of development within and outside settlements, climate change mitigation and adaptation, housing supply, economic growth, town centres, telecommunications, energy and water, minerals, land use, Green Belt, design, transport, healthy communities, pollution, flood risk, the natural environment, and the historic environment). The consultation document also sought views on transitional arrangements, the status of the draft Framework, and specific questions related to the proposed changes.

Climate Resilience and Building a More Equal Borough

The committee was also scheduled to receive a briefing on climate resilience and its connection to building a more equal borough. This briefing was intended to familiarise members with the scope of climate risk in Ealing, highlighting the towns and groups most at risk, and to brief them on the benefits of investing in action to reduce these risks. The impacts of climate change, such as heavier rains and severe heatwaves, disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including those in low-income communities, older adults, individuals with pre-existing health conditions, and disabled people.

The council's 2025 Progress Report on climate action committed to developing a climate adaptation and resilience strategy. A draft strategy was intended for consultation, aiming to show how building climate resilience can reduce inequality, identify actions the council will undertake, and build an evidence base to seize investment and funding opportunities. The strategy incorporates outcomes such as healthier lives, comfortable spaces, a greener borough, financial resilience, good jobs, and social connection, aligning with the council's Better Living framework. The briefing aimed to support awareness of the upcoming public consultation to broaden contributions.

The meeting was scheduled to take place in The Liz Cantell Room, Perceval House, Ealing. The attendees listed included Councillors S Kohli (Chair), I Nijhar, A Young, T Mahmood, R Wall, D Martin, and C Sharma, along with Jennifer Peters, Steve Barton, and Cornelia Harding.