This month’s article focusses on the kind of project that is likely to be strongly supported by the emerging new NPPF 2025 (currently in draft) and how the NPPF can be used to overcome initial officer objections in order to support the highest possible development density on site.

We obtained planning permission last month for the change of use of two floors of empty offices in an existing building to self-contained apartments in Greenwich, south-east London. Due to the withdrawal of permitted development rights in the area, it was not possible to use permitted development rights to obtain consent – full planning permission was required instead.

The principle of change of use was agreed (although evidence was required). However, a careful approach had to be taken to ensure that the client still got consent for the number of apartments needed and a good sense of the objectives of national and local policy was important in ensuring our success.

Focussing development in town and cities
In the new draft NPPF, published in December 2025, the objective of the NPPF’s spatial strategy policies is to meet development needs through sustainable patterns of development, including by maximising the potential for growth on suitable land within settlements, enabling development which will support the rural economy, rural communities and the provision of infrastructure, and limiting development away from settlements to help safeguard the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside.

Within settlements, the starting point is approval unless benefits are substantially outweighed by adverse impacts, subject to specified refusal circumstances:

“Development proposals within settlements should be approved unless the benefits of doing so would be substantially outweighed by any adverse effects, when assessed against the national decision-making policies in this Framework.” (Draft Policy S4).