England already has the policy tools needed to manage growing pressures on land use, but they are fragmented across government departments, according to a new report from CPRE.
The report comes as Labour launches the Land Use Framework, which aims to address rising competition for land across housing, energy, agriculture and nature.
England faces increasing pressure as the government plans to build 1.5 million homes while also meeting renewable energy targets and restoring biodiversity. At the same time food security concerns are placing additional strain on farmland.
The report argues that decisions about land use are too often made in isolation, leading to unintended consequences, such as homes built on floodplains, solar farms on highly productive farmland and nature reserves reclassified as ‘grey belt’ to enable development.
Rather than a lack of policy, the report identifies six existing strategic mechanisms that could support more coordinated land use planning.
These include Spatial Development Strategies, Local Nature Recovery Strategies and the Climate Adaptation Reporting Power.
However the report says these mechanisms are currently developed and implemented separately by different government departments, creating overlapping strategies that sometimes contradict each other.
The government’s Land Use Framework alone is unlikely to resolve these issues, the report warns.
Fundamental questions about where housing, food production, renewable energy and nature recovery should take place remain unresolved.
Among the six tools analysed, Spatial Development Strategies are identified as the most promising. Introduced through the upcoming English Devolution Bill, they could help balance housing demand with climate, nature and food priorities.
CPRE chief executive Roger Mortlock said: “England’s land is finite, but the demands upon it are multiplying. So many government targets require land, but we still think in boxes about how we use it.”
“Without a coherent national plan and clear mechanisms for delivery, the country risks fragmented development, needless loss of countryside, and missed opportunities to align housing, energy, food, climate and nature goals.”
The report calls for a statutory national land use plan overseen by the Cabinet Office and stronger coordination between sectors.
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