A new CPRE report has warned that the Land Use Framework – due to be published on Wednesday – offers no new solutions and neglects existing policy tools
The government’s long-awaited Land Use Framework is unlikely to be the silver bullet many are hoping for, according to a new report from the Council of Preservation of Rural England(CPRE).
Demands on UK land have ‘never been more acute’, warns the CPRE, citing the 1.5 million new homes to build, renewable energy targets to hit, nature in freefall and food security under pressure.
In response to growing demand for new housing, government policy has tried to find new solutions such as reclassifying old car parks and disused industrial spaces as grey belt. But there are criticisms of these policies- developments on grey belt land are unlikely to help meet housing targets and as many as one in nine new homes in the UK are built in flood risk areas.
The CPRE report argues that policy tools about land use are already in place and need to be better utilised
The report identifies six strategic mechanisms, including Spatial Development Strategies, Local Nature Recovery Strategies and the Climate Adaptation Reporting Power, that already exist and could enable smarter, joined-up decisions to be made about land use.
The challenge the report highlights is that they are being used in silos. Each mechanism has been developed through the lens of a different government department, producing a patchwork of strategies that overlap, contradict and occasionally cancel each other out.
Of the six tools examined, Spatial Development Strategies – which will be introduced as part of the English Devolution Bill – emerge as the most promising. They have the potential to balance housing need alongside climate, nature and food priorities but risk being treated simply as a means of distributing housebuilding targets.
With major planning consultations open and the Devolution Bill progressing through Parliament, CPRE is calling on the government to establish a statutory national plan for land use, develop a spatial framework that integrates all major sectors, and support Strategic Authorities to deliver on climate and nature targets alongside housing.
A more coherent national strategy for land use is needed
Roger Mortlock, CPRE chief executive, said: ‘England’s land is finite, but the demands upon it are multiplying. So many government targets require land, but we still think in boxes about how we use it. Without a coherent national plan and clear mechanisms for delivery, the country risks fragmented development, needless loss of countryside, and missed opportunities to align housing, energy, food, climate and nature goals.
“Evidence from this report shows there is still time to think differently, and that with strategic leadership, integrated planning and a renewed commitment to fairness between places, England can overcome the land crunch.”
Ellie Brodie, report author and founder of Grounded Insight, said: “An additional area of land twice the size of Wales will be needed by 2050 to meet the UK’s targets for net zero and biodiversity alone. Add to that the government’s commitment to building 1.5 million new homes and the problem is clear.
“Our report shows the art of the possible, both in future and right now, with the tools we have on the table. Connecting Local Nature Recovery Strategies to environmental payments for farmers, for example, and using Spatial Development Strategies to cut across historic town and country dividing lines.”
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