Planning policy update puts transport and community at the heart of good growth

For those who have been following the trajectory of the National Planning Policy Framework through its various stages of consultation and iteration, this week's headlines about its publication might justify a muted response.

If there are any new lessons, however, it's not so much about the NPPF per se, but the narrative which framed it.

For here we are without doubt seeing the work of our new Prime Minister in partnership with his new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner.

Front and centre, therefore, is the importance of building new homes near to well-connected railway, tram and underground stations, which now comes with a ‘default yes’ for planning approval. Alongside that, the importance of providing protections for community pubs.

Both are entities which have long been part of Andy Burnham's political narrative in his previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, so little surprise that we see them framing an important update on planning policy.

As people pore over the detail of what this all means for planning, it will be equally helpful for them to understand what Burnham really believes to be the role for a fully integrated, locally controlled, London-style public transport network.

This week's NPPF update wasn't only a story of what planning policy can do to tackle the country's housing crisis, but also of how transport is the glue that holds together every aspect of the prime minister's vision for good growth in every postcode.

Let's deal with why this matters. A colleague shared an anecdote from a consultation event where a member of the public pushed back against a proposed development on the strength of the location having a perfectly decent railway connection, but with only one train every couple of hours.

A valid point under certain circumstances, where many services are still dictated by the whim of private operators.

What we've seen in Greater Manchester, however, and soon to be seen in other areas across the country, is a huge shift in the balance of power for public transport.

What if that same development was served by frequent and sustainable transport options by order of the same local leaders seeking to attract developers of new homes?

Buses, trams, and soon, local commuter trains, are all falling under local control in Greater Manchester. Quietly, the country’s train operating companies (TOCs) are falling under public control.

Before long, developers wrestling with concerns about viability in areas with strong potential commuter connections will do so with much more certainty. 

There are some great examples of where and how this can work. Eccles in Salford, Greater Manchester is undergoing significant regeneration. It is 9 minutes by rail from Manchester city centre, an affordable commuter town for young professionals in future... but those trains currently only run once an hour. The tram is more frequent but takes 35 minutes to get into town.

Service frequency of local rail services has the potential to change with the increase in local control for public transport that the PM now sees as a priority for places across the country.

The other thing Eccles has more than its fair share of is pubs, including one of the finest you’ll find anywhere: The Lamb Hotel, a Joseph Holt’s Brewery house of the type that ought to be at the heart of every community.

New communities, with new homes, connected to opportunities by improved and frequent public transport, and with a warm and welcoming community pub? I think we can all drink to that.