The British Property Federation (BPF) has urged ministers to resolve confusion surrounding the government’s fiercely debated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) after an influential committee of cross-party MPs called for ‘significant changes’.

Publishing the report, the CLG Committee suggested government reinstate the ‘brownfield first’ policy, amend the contentious presumption in favour of sustainable development so it only applies if a proposal is consistent with a local authority’s local plan, and even offers a ‘more inclusive definition’ of sustainable development.

The BPF says it supports many of the report’s findings, particularly the reintroduction of brownfield and town centre first policies. It also believes that the property industry is not at odds with the committee’s proposed definition of sustainable development and the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development consistent with a local plan’, as long as there is a suitably robust mechanism to ensure that, in the absence of a local plan, development can continue.

Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “This report and much of the rhetoric surrounding the NPPF exposes the vast disparity of views when interpreting the framework. Ministers must stand up and be counted and explain exactly what certain sections of the NPPF will mean in practice.

“Many of the committee’s findings we have long supported, such as the reintroduction of a brownfield first policy. The commercial property industry, by-and-large, already develops on previously used land in town and city centres.

“We could support the committee’s definition of sustainable development and re-worded ‘presumption in favour’ as long as local authorities were compelled to produce a local plan. As it stands, only 47% of local authorities have got around to producing one and the committee’s suggestion risks a complete development hiatus in the remaining 53% of areas.“To some extent, much of the debate around the different definitions of sustainable development and the obsession with the length of the NPPF itself misses the point that the new system will only succeed if all local authorities have a robust local plan.”