The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which sets out national planning policy for England, was reformed in December 2024 following a consultation1. The change was set out in a Parliamentary research briefing on planning for net zero, published on 6 January 2025, which examines how the planning system supports delivery of the UK's 2050 net zero target1.
The briefing states that the government has said delivery of low carbon energy, transport and built infrastructure at the required pace requires addressing planning system delays1. It also notes that planning is a devolved area, with each of the four nations operating its own system. The NPPF applies in England only; Wales is covered by Planning Policy Wales alongside Technical Advice Notes, Scotland by National Planning Framework 4, and Northern Ireland by the Strategic Planning Policy Statement1.
The briefing sets out progress against a set of indicators from the Climate Change Committee's monitoring framework, several of which relate directly to homes and household energy:
| Indicator | Progress | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Households receiving energy efficient measures | Not on track | All fuel-poor homes should be at least band C by 2030 |
| Residential energy demand | On track | Reduce energy demand by 15% by 2030 |
| Public EV charging points | On track | 300,000 throughout the UK by 2030 |
| Offshore wind capacity | Slightly off track | 50 GW by 2030 |
| Onshore wind capacity | Slightly off track | 30 GW |
| Unabated gas share of electricity generation | Slightly off track | No more than 5% by 2030 |
| Heat pump installations | Not on track | 600,000 installations a year by 2028 |
| Trained heat pump installers | Not on track | 50,200 installers by 2030 |
Source: POSTnote 736, citing the CCC's 2024 progress report1.
On local plans, the briefing records that as of March 2024, 110 local planning authorities in England had adopted a local plan within the last five years, while 291 had plans more than five years old1. It states there is no national spatial plan1. On nationally significant infrastructure, the Planning Act 2008 introduced a separate statutory regime for such projects, covering matters including overhead electric lines over 132 kilovolts and onshore and offshore generation projects over 100 megawatts1. Battery projects for energy storage are not within that regime, regardless of storage capacity1. In 2021, the average time for a nationally significant infrastructure project planning decision was 4.2 years, against a stated aim of a maximum of 18 months once submitted, excluding pre-application1.
"Following a consultation, the NPPF was reformed in December 2024."
Why it matters for households
The NPPF governs what local planning authorities in England can approve, including the permitted development rights that allow some home energy equipment to be installed without a full planning application. A reformed framework therefore shapes how straightforward it is for a household to add measures such as solar panels, battery storage or a heat pump, and how much of that is decided locally rather than nationally.
The briefing's indicators show where household-facing policy sits against its targets. Energy efficiency measures for fuel-poor homes are not on track against the 2030 band C goal, and heat pump installations and installer numbers are both not on track1. Residential energy demand reduction is on track1. For a household, the practical backdrop is a planning system that the briefing describes as facing delays on large infrastructure, alongside local plans that in many areas are more than five years old1.
The briefing also notes that the new National Energy System Operator has committed to Regional Energy Strategic Plans, mapping distribution networks and technologies needed to reach net zero across the UK mainland, to be complemented by Strategic Spatial Energy Planning covering Great Britain1. Those plans concern the grid and generation that homes connect to, rather than household-level permissions.
What happens next
The briefing states that in 2025 a proposed policy change will bring all nuclear generating projects, including small modular nuclear reactors, within the nationally significant infrastructure project regime, regardless of generating capacity1. The government has committed to updating National Policy Statements in 2025 and to five-yearly reviews1. The briefing also records that the Strategic Spatial Energy Planning work covers Great Britain1. No further dates for the NPPF itself are given1.
Sources1 cited
- Planning for net zero, researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk