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Chief Planner’s planning update newsletter for March 2026 published

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published the planning update newsletter for March 2026, written for chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs). It confirms that regulations bringing the new plan-making system into force under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA 2023) have been signed into law. The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/186, come into force on 25 March 2026, replacing the 2012 plan-making regime. A period of ‘dual-running’ will apply, enabling authorities that submit plans by 31 December 2026 to continue under the existing system, while others proceed under the new framework. Further regulations are expected later in 2026 covering data standards, housing requirements and plan timetables. The newsletter also confirms the removal of the Duty to Cooperate, with cross-boundary planning to be delivered instead through spatial development strategies (SDSs) under the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (PIA 2025); the duty to prepare SDSs is expected to commence in summer 2026, and consultation on proposed SDS geographies closes on 26 March 2026. Additional updates include the extension of the expedited written representations procedure to all section 78(1) Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990) appeals for applications made on or after 1 April 2026; a 3.8% increase in planning fees from 1 April 2026; the commencement of compulsory purchase reforms on 18 February 2026; the launch of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s 2026 Planning Skills and Capacity Survey; and the opening of Round 6 of the PropTech Innovation Fund.

Planning weekly highlights—5 March 2026

This week’s edition of Planning weekly highlights includes: regulations commencing provisions of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, a roadmap outlining support for the new local plan-making system, a judgment confirming that a subsequent event cannot retrospectively render a lawful planning decision unlawful, and updated planning fees for development consent orders and planning applications.

EA publishes guidance on natural flood management heat maps

The Environment Agency (EA) has published guidance on its natural flood management (NFM) heat maps, which are intended to help identify potential project opportunities under the flood and coastal erosion risk management investment programme. The guidance explains how to access the heat maps, outlines the methodology used to develop them and sets out how they should be used. The maps are available via the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Data Services Platform and are based on the EA’s simplified national-scale methodology for estimating the benefits of NFM. The guidance notes that the maps do not take account of local features such as pumped catchments, washlands, large reservoirs, roads or other local infrastructure. Users are therefore expected to apply local knowledge to determine whether proposed measures are likely to operate effectively in the relevant context. The EA plans to refine the maps over time, including by screening out areas where NFM would be unlikely to be effective due to local features and by incorporating local NFM opportunity mapping.

Events subsequent to planning decision cannot invalidate that decision (Wiltshire Council v SSHCLG)

Planning analysis: In Wiltshire Council v SSHCLG, the Planning Court dismissed a claim for statutory review of a decision granting planning permission for the redevelopment of an historic airfield, holding that a subsequent event cannot retrospectively render a lawful planning decision unlawful, even where that event materially affects the factual basis upon which the decision was reached. In this case, a fire occurred days after the decision to grant planning permission, destroying a listed building, the restoration of which was a key part of the planning case in favour of allowing the development.