The National Planning Policy Framework was published on 27 March 2012, replacing all the previous Planning Policy Statements, including PPS 5, as well as various other planning guidance. Its central theme is the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’, set out in twelve core land-use planning principles which underpin both plan-making and decision-taking.

Although matters relevant to the historic environment are scattered throughout these principles, particularly design, urban and countryside policies, it is the section on Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment which supersedes PPS 5, whilst following that document’s significance-led approach to decision-taking.

English Heritage has produced two comparison documents for ease of reference; one compares the NPPF historic environment policies to those in PPS 5, and the other gives information on additional policies in the NPPF not mentioned in PPS 5.

Currently under development are a PowerPoint briefing on the NPPF and a series of training courses about the implications of the NPPF on the historic environment. We are holding a series of sessions in the coming months to discuss English Heritage's interpretation of the NPPF.

The Practice Guide remains a valid and Government endorsed document pending Government's review of guidance supporting national planning policy as set out in its response to the select committee report. The references in the document to PPS5 policies are obviously now redundant, but the policies in the NPPF are very similar and the intent is the same, so the Practice Guide remains almost entirely relevant and useful in the application of the NPPF.

NPPF and the Historic Environment Video Commentary by our Governance and Legal Director and Government Advice Director

A video commentary on the NPPF can be viewed below. The video can be made full screen.