National Planning Barometer 2025 launched at UKREiiF

Yesterday saw the latest National Planning Barometer at UKREiiF in Leeds. Now in its fifth year, the National Planning Barometer is the only nationally representative survey of councillors sitting on local authority planning committees that explores perceptions of planning policy. 

The research aims to build an accurate picture of the challenges and opportunities in our planning system, particularly regarding the government's 1.5 million homes target and recent policy reforms.

You can find the press release on the research below and download the full report here.

If you'd like to speak to one of our planning and engagement specialists or our research team about how we can help your organisation - please email hello@secnewgate.co.uk 
 

COUNCILLORS CAST VOTE OF LOW CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT HOUSING REFORMS IN NEW RESEARCH

• New report provides first verdict on planning reforms from those on the frontline
• Major survey of councillors reveals biggest disconnect yet between national policy ambitions and the realities at the delivery end of the system
   

Almost one year into the new government, confidence in the roadmap to get Britain building is already in question by those on the frontline, according to a major national survey of planning committee members.

The National Planning Barometer is an annual report by leading communications and advocacy consultancy, SEC Newgate, and the only national survey of councillors on England's planning committees, gauging the views of those at the delivery end of the highly debated system.

The biggest yet, with insights from 485 councillors, this year’s report reveals not only a significant lack of faith in delivering housing targets – with over 75% (76%) considering them unachievable - but also lifts the lid on wider issues at play and the implications of the reforms yet to be addressed. 

Root causes still at large

The survey highlights a significant disparity between the government’s goals and housing delivery on a local level, with the widespread view that they fail to address the root causes of challenges at play. A third of respondents referred to the construction sector’s skills shortage as the primary reason behind their lack of confidence in meeting the ambitious 1.5m homes target, with a fifth pointing to the negative impact of existing developer land-banking.

Though the same barriers persist from 2024, many are deemed to have worsened over the last year (data same as last year), with seven in 10 councillors citing developers claiming lack of viability for affordable housing delivery as a major barrier within their local authority areas. 58% of respondents reported slow build-out by developers as a further delivery barrier (an 18% jump compared to 2024). Compounding these developer-based delivery barriers, community opposition is on the increase, along with a decrease in the lack of suitable sites in local areas.

Affordable housing provision under threat

While 92% of councillors report the housing crisis has persisted or worsened – and 77% consider it severe in their region – it is affordable housing provision specifically that has emerged as collateral damage within the housing reforms.

Councillors in 2025 continue to prioritise the provision of affordable housing for future generations, with almost three quarters citing it as their top priority, and 8 in 10 report social and affordable housing as the most-needed housing tenure. However, just 20% believe the government’s removal of national requirements relating to affordable home ownership will increase flexibility for local authorities, with 60%  (can say 6 in 10 or 59%) expecting it to have a negative impact on affordable housing supply. More than 40% also raised concerns that the policy change will benefit developers more than the communities it is designed to serve, with a third concerned it will negatively impact low-income families.

The jury is also still out as to the efficacy of assessing social rent as a separate category, with 52% feeling it will be ineffective in increasingly supply of these compared to 48% who feel it will be effective.

National policy at the cost of local democracy

Councillors perceive a threat to local democracy from national policies that lack regard for local housing needs, with 63% opposing the return to mandatory housing targets, and 73% disagreeing with using existing housing stock to calculate housing needs.

Further national policy which affects local decision-making powers is the proposed National Scheme of Delegation, where applications that are compliant with local plans

would be automatically delegated to planning officers. The study shows that councillors widely reject the plans with only 31% saying they think compliant applications should be delegated, and only 25% saying it would improve the performance of their planning committee.

Green Belt vs Grey Belt

Councillor views on recategorizing some Green Belt land as ‘Grey Belt’ land underscore their resistance to more ‘top down’ national planning decisions, with 7 in 10 (69%) favouring a local or case by case approach to Grey Belt mapping, with only 1 in 5 (17%) favouring a fixed, nationally mapped approach, akin to the current Green Belt mapping.

Councillors challenge the effectiveness of the Grey Belt, with only 34% feeling Grey Belt plans would preserve the integrity of the Green Belt and less than half (46%) feeling it will provide enough land for houses.

Amid the more critical views presented, the survey also highlighted councillors’ continued optimism that effective solutions are achievable, but that they require genuine partnership between national government, local authorities, developers, and communities.