The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published a consultation entitled “National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system”. 

On 10 March 2026, the Policy and Practice Working Group submitted the NIPA response to MHCLG, focusing on questions relevant to the planning regime for NSIPs and driving better national infrastructure planning outcomes.

The response addressed the following questions:

• Chapter 2: Planning-making policies. Question 6. On the role of spatial development strategies.
• Chapter 10: Securing Clean Energy and Water: Questions 96 – 99. Relating to policies on renewable and low carbon energy with two new policies on planning for energy and water infrastructure, and decision-making on water infrastructure.
• Chapter 13: Protecting Green Belt land: Question 136. Focussed on policies that set out appropriate tests for considering development on Green Belt land.
• Annex A – Data Centres and onsite energy generation: Questions 195 – 199. Responses to questions related to energy thresholds and data centres.

NIPA members support the role of spatial development strategies to set a positive vision for growth and change, and welcome the increased emphasis on infrastructure provision in the draft NPPF.

We identified areas within our response whereby NIPA has offered to work with MHCLG to test how draft wording might play out in practice, drawing on our breadth and depth of membership expertise, so that any proposed changes to the draft NPPF have maximum positive impact.