Planning in 2026: from ambitious promises to practical delivery

Over the past twelve months the development industry has, on paper, been given much of what it asked for: a new National Planning Policy Framework (soon to be revised again) and legislative reform (the soon be enacted Planning and Infrastructure Bill), both designed to turbo-charge housebuilding. This is alongside the beginnings of a new towns programme, a move back to regional strategic planning, a fundamental rethink of London’s growth model and serious attempts to tackle longstanding constraints such as water scarcity and nutrient neutrality. Planning has been firmly pushed back to the centre of the growth debate, as the government looks to planning and development as a key lever for kickstarting economic growth.

But on the ground, consents have fallen, housing completions remain well below what is needed, and many local planning authorities are working with skeleton teams, ageing local plans, and increasing uncertainty for what’s to come. Despite the big announcements, the housing crisis persists. We still build too few homes, affordability continues to worsen, and many communities are already experiencing increased pressure on local schools, roads, healthcare and local services.

As a planning consultant, I see both sides of this every day. On the one hand, we now have a much better planning policy environment, with clearer signals about the need for growth. On the other, the reality on the ground, is that nothing has yet changed. The real question is whether in 2026 that momentum can finally be turned into delivery. This means more permissions, more construction and more first-time buyers.

What 2025 changed

The real first shift over the past year has been less about ambition and more about intent. The previous Conservative and Coalition governments have long set out plans to deliver millions of homes. What has been missing, until now, is the political capital to tackle the obstacles that stood in the way. In particular, difficult decisions about housing on greenfield land on the edge of settlements have often been ignored, reflecting the reality that many existing communities, and voters, live precisely in the places where new homes are most needed. The current approach marks a stark change in tone, with government now more actively seeking to confront these issues, rather than manage around them. The Green Belt is no longer treated as untouchable, with the emergence of the Grey Belt concept enabling a more honest discussion about where sustainable growth can sensibly be accommodated around our towns and cities. New towns are back on the table; and  Strategic Authorities are being created to help deliver coordinated infrastructure and housing growth across entire housing and labour market areas.

In London, the Mayor’s consultation on a new London Plan and the Homes for London policy package, which is currently being consulted upon, have finally acknowledged that the capital cannot rely solely on brownfield sites and even high affordable housing targets to meet its needs.

Alongside this, there have been pockets of genuine progress. The unblocking of strategic schemes in water-stressed areas such as Cambridge (which Boyer has experienced first-hand at Waterbeach New Town), shows what can be achieved when government, agencies and developers work together on water resources and mitigation. Early work on the Nature Restoration Fund and nutrient solutions hints at a more strategic approach to environmental constraints.

However, 2025 has also been a year of strain. Planning departments are under unprecedented pressure, with significant vacancies, ongoing local government reorganisation and uncertainty about future responsibilities. Local plan timetables remain fragile and confidence in plan-making has been undermined in many areas.

Overlay this with nervous market sentiment, tighter regulation and rising build costs, and the result is that too many viable schemes fail at the first hurdle. That matters for all tenures, from market homes through to Build to Rent (BTR) and affordable housing, as well commercial, leisure and town centre regenerations schemes.

What needs to change in 2026

We do not need another revolution: we need to make the reforms already in train to work on the ground, with fewer pauses, clearer national rules and faster, more strategic delivery.

1. Keep plan-making moving despite local government reorganisation
   Strategic Authorities will only help if they add clarity rather than delay. Every area should enter 2026 with a clear, published timetable for its spatial development strategy or local plan review, and stick to it. Transitional arrangements must be used to keep plans alive, rather than justify drift. Developers can work with firm numbers and clear strategies; they cannot plan around limbo.

2. Turn Grey Belt and growth corridors into real sites
   The new NPPF, Grey Belt policy and growth corridor commitments will only matter if they are translated into allocations and permissions. In practice that means undertaking a more strategic approach to Green Belt release focussed on lower quality land to deliver more affordable homes, better infrastructure and well-designed  development. It also means realising that not all sites will be viable under the “golden rules” concept and being honest about delivery.

3. Treat planning capacity as national infrastructure
   The funding promised for a few hundred new planners is a start, not a solution. In 2026 we need a serious workforce plan for the planning system: retention of planning fees by local authorities, targeted bursaries, mid-career routes into planning and support for specialist roles such as conservation, ecology and transport. At the same time, we should be doing more in schools and universities to promote planning as a career that shapes places and tackles climate, housing and economic challenges in a tangible way.

4. Use technology to speed decisions, not just add noise
   Government-backed AI tools can help authorities process information more quickly, test scenarios and improve the evidence base for plans. However, we are already seeing AI being used to generate objection letters at scale. In 2026 we should focus on practical digital gains: standard data formats, better case-management systems, simple online explainers for complex schemes and careful piloting of AI where it genuinely saves officer time. Technology needs to reduce friction, not create new bottlenecks.

5. Remove environmental blockers in a strategic way
   Nutrient neutrality and water scarcity remain two of the most significant brakes on housing in some regions. The emerging Nature Restoration Fund, water credits and new reservoir and transfer schemes are promising, but they must be accelerated and coordinated. The aim in 2026 should be to move from case-by-case negotiation to clear frameworks, so applicants know what contributions or design standards will unlock development at the outset.

6. Back well governed public sector delivery
   Local authority trading companies and other council-led vehicles will not solve the housing crisis on their own, but they can bring difficult sites forward, especially for affordable housing. The task for the coming year is to learn honestly from the last decade: support models with strong governance, transparent risk-sharing and commercial realism, and be prepared to wind down those that do not meet those tests.

7. Lead a different conversation with communities
   Finally, 2026 has to be the year we communicate differently about growth. National targets and planning reform will only go so far if every major scheme triggers local distrust. We need consistent national messaging about why homes are needed in both urban and rural areas, clearer explanations of how infrastructure will be funded and delivered, and more effort to give supporters a voice alongside objectors. That applies as much to new towns and Grey Belt sites as it does to town-centre regeneration and Build to Rent schemes.

Planning cannot, on its own, fix interest rates, construction costs or investor confidence. But if we can stabilise plan-making, resource the system properly and apply the reforms already announced with discipline rather than rhetoric, 2026 could be the year we move from ambitious speeches to a steady increase in consents, starts and sales.