National Association for AONBs Response to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: reforms to national planning policy open consultation

We believe that the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) can be further strengthened to help safeguard AONBs for the nation into the future, it is vitally important that development within AONBs and their settings is delivered in a way that is compatible with and, ideally, positively contributes to the statutory purpose of conserving and enhancing their natural beauty.

Some of the proposed changes to the NPPF are positive step in this regard but do not, currently, go far enough. In addition to changes to the NPPF that have been proposed in the consultation, we consider that there are a number of additional changes that also need to be made.