The National Planning Policy Framework and Archaeology: A Discussion

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) continues to divide opinion. This is especially the case in relation to heritage and the historic environment. On the one hand, the historic environment is given its own section in the document, and there is strong rhetoric around the importance of conserving unique heritage assets. On the other, aspects of the NPPF are a source of great concern, not least the so-called ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’. The end of the transition year, in which local authorities are supposedly updating their local plans, will therefore be a crucial moment for determining the longer-term impact of the NPPF.