NCF: NPPF Review of Ancient Woodlands and Trees-Woodland Trust enabling contract

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ('the Customer') is commissioning analysis for responses to a review of the implementation of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) regarding ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees.

Making sure that our ancient woodlands are adequately protected and suitably managed to provide a wide range of social, environmental and economic benefits to society remains a key commitment. In 2018, the protection of ancient woodlands, ancient trees and veteran trees was strengthened through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), recognising them as irreplaceable habitats. The NPPF also outlines that any development resulting in the loss or deterioration of such irreplaceable habitats should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and only if a suitable compensation strategy exists. In 2021, the Government committed to reviewing the NPPF with respect to ancient woodlands, consulting on strengthening the wording in the NPPF and introducing a new duty on planning authorities to consult the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities before granting permission for development affecting ancient woodlands.

The overarching aim of this analysis is to better understand if the NPPF paragraph 180c has been appropriately applied to preventing loss and deterioration to ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees. This will involve:

• Analysing whether local authorities and planning inspectors understand loss and deterioration to ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees appropriately

• Analysing how local authorities and planning inspectors assess and measure loss and deterioration to ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees appropriately

• Analysing whether the local authorities and planning inspectors have interpreted the wholly exceptional clause in the NPPF

• Analysing how the local authorities and planning inspectors have interpreted the wholly exceptional clause.