Planning policy
National Planning Policy
The Government’s proposed National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently going through Parliament. Throughout 2025, there has been a broad consultation in which CPRE Cornwall, as well as CPRE national office, have responded. Our response contained well-researched and cogent arguments for Cornwall’s special character and specific needs. It is clear that the Framework’s overriding ‘one-size-fits-all’ proposals cannot be made to work with Cornwall’s rural economy or with the essential natural capital of its countryside.
Most of the NPPF’s proposals deal with greenbelt (of which Cornwall has none), and there is hardly a mention of the issues important to rural areas or the rural economy. Our research has shown that, in fact, housebuilding in Cornwall has exceeded targets set out in Cornwall Council’s 2016-2030 Local Plan, and most of it has been on greenfield land and has included incursions onto those supposedly protected areas now called National Landscapes (formerly AONBs).
However, we do share the following concerns:
Risk to the countryside:
We believe the NPPF, despite some positive elements, increases the risk to the countryside due to its focus on housing delivery without sufficient consideration for strategic planning and environmental protection.
Need for strategic planning:
We argue that the framework does not adequately address the ability of local authorities to plan strategically in conjunction with their neighbours, which is crucial for sustainable development.
Concerns about greenfield development:
We are concerned that the NPPF, by prioritising the delivery of any development over development that meets communities’ needs and respects the environment, may lead to the increased loss of greenfield land.
Emphasis on local needs:
We advocate for development that genuinely meets the needs of communities and adheres to environmental standards, rather than simply prioritising the delivery of any development.
Call for a stronger planning system:
CPRE has long campaigned for a strong, effective, and transparent planning system that minimises the loss of greenfield land and improves the provision of affordable housing.
To find out more, click here to see the research published in our e-newsletter Cornwall Matters in August, October and December 2024.
Cornwall Local Plan
CPRE Cornwall will be working to influence Cornwall Council in the preparation of its new Local Plan. Public consultation started in 2025. We seek to support and join in the broad coalition of organisations lobbying for a proper Land Use Strategy to help define an effective long-term planning policy for Cornwall. This partnership includes a wide range of stakeholders, including wildlife, conservation and climate campaigners, farmers, and landowners.
New Neighbourhood Priority Statements are to replace the parish-based Neighbourhood Plans, which, despite being painstakingly prepared by concerned local residents, have been seen to be too easily set aside when commercial pressures are brought to bear.
What are Neighbourhood Priorities Statements?
The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act (LURA) 2023 introduced Neighbourhood Priorities Statements.
A Neighbourhood Priorities Statement (NPS)is produced by a local council in consultation with residents and statutory consultees. They will be less detailed and quicker to produce than a neighbourhood development plan. They do not contain planning policies, but they do allow local people to influence growth and development in their area. An NPS is an opportunity for residents to set out their aspirations for the future and identify important local planning issues. They can suggest locations where new development will be supported. They can also suggest areas that are inappropriate for further development. You can identify the type of infrastructure investment that will ensure new development benefits your area. An NPS can set out design rules to ensure that new development enhances places.
All NPS must be endorsed by the local council, and when they write the policies for the next Local Plan, they will have a legal duty to consider all approved NPS.
Cornwall Council’s Pilot Programme
Cornwall Council are inviting a sample of parishes to take part in a pilot to help test some of the documents and processes. They will provide extra support through the process. Once this pilot is underway, the process will be opened to all parishes in the summer. Progress will be reported in the neighbourhood planning newsletter.
How can you start a neighbourhood priorities statement?
After the pilot process completes, all areas across Cornwall will be able to produce an NPS. They will need to follow the procedures and format to meet any future legal requirements. Register an interest in starting a neighbourhood priorities statement using the link below.
neighbourhoodplanning@cornwall.gov.uk.
Once the pilot is underway, guidance, templates and other helpful information will also be available using the link.
Interim Policy Position Statement.
The Government published a standard housing method alongside the NPPF in December 2024. This is the method that must be used to determine the number of new homes that should be built each year in Cornwall. Cornwall must now plan for 4,421 homes instead of the 2,707 planned for under the current Local Plan.
As the Local Plan is more than 5 years old, Cornwall Council must be able to show that the plan can meet the new housing requirement of 4,421 homes per year for it to remain ‘up to date’.
Cornwall Council have concluded that this is not currently possible, and on that basis, some of the policies in the Local Plan will be considered ‘out of date’ for decision-making. However, where the policies remain consistent with the NPPF, they can continue to be used for decision-making. This is true of the majority of the policies across the Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plans.
To help decision-making under the ‘Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development’, Cornwall Council has issued an Interim Policy Position Statement.
Interim Policy Position Statement
The Interim Policy Position Statement sets out the following:
Which policies are considered out of date, and which ones can still be used
How Cornwall Council policies reflect national policies
How Cornwall Council will make positive planning decisions
Principles for development
Information about a new local plan
To read more, watch out for future editions of Cornwall Matters, our bi-monthly e-newsletter. Click here to read our most recent newsletter