Councillor George Finch, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, approved the submission of the council's technical response to the December 2025 draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation. The decision was made under the council's urgency procedure due to the tight deadline for the consultation response.

WCC NPPF Consultation Response

Councillor George Finch, as Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Children & Families, approved Warwickshire County Council's technical response to the December 2025 draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation. This decision was deemed urgent as the consultation deadline of 10 March 2026 meant that the usual call-in period would prevent a timely response.

The NPPF sets out national planning policies for England and is a material consideration in plan-making and decision-taking. The proposed changes are extensive and will impact how Warwickshire County Council prepares its minerals and waste plans, determines planning applications, and acts as a statutory consultee. The council's response aims to ensure that government understands its concerns, seeks clarification on unclear proposals, and mitigates potential negative impacts on service delivery.

Key concerns raised in the council's response include:

• Information Requirements for Planning Applications: The council is concerned that proposed changes would restrict the ability of local authorities to request further information unless relevant policies exist in the development plan. This could lead to insufficient evidence to assess potential impacts on landscape, character, design, ecology, or health, increasing the risk of development with adverse visual, environmental, or health impacts.
• Development Near Train Stations: The council seeks clarity and local nuance on proposals to make development near train stations acceptable by default, particularly regarding minimum density requirements. In areas with limited infrastructure, these densities could place unsustainable pressure on local services, and in rural or historic towns, they may conflict with heritage, landscape, or local character.
• Absence of Waste Policies: The consultation document does not include updated waste policies, which are currently set out in the National Planning Policy for Waste (2014). The council is concerned that this absence, coupled with the new 30-month deadline for preparing waste plans, could lead to evidence bases needing renewal, resulting in additional costs and resource pressure.
• Flood Risk Sequential Test: The council disagrees with changes to the sequential test for flood risk, which under the proposals omit the consideration of development being permitted when weighed against specific flood risk policies and wider considerations. This is seen as weakening the council's ability to guide development to locations less at risk of flooding.

The council's response generally supports the draft NPPF's structure and policy direction for transport and town centres but highlights concerns about how information requirements, development around stations, and the lack of updated waste policies will impact service delivery.

The decision was made under urgency procedures, with written consent from Councillor Jan Matecki, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, confirming the decision could not be deferred. The response is not considered contrary to the council's budget or policy framework.

The full response, including detailed comments on specific policies and questions within the consultation, is available in Appendix 1 of the public reports pack¹.