The consultation will open a conversation on the use of land, its effects on agriculture, and other aspects
The land use consultation will gather evidence and opinions from farmers, landowners, businesses, and nature groups throughout the country.
The consultation is seeking evidence on a new strategic approach to land use management and will provide data for decision-makers regarding protected lands.
The Plan for Change will prioritise housebuilding
The key purpose of the consultation is to ensure that agricultural land is suitably and sufficiently protected while prioritising the use of land for housebuilding and protecting the country’s food security.
The Plan for Change is also intended to deliver new towns and new energy infrastructure.
The consultation’s results will be used to inform the final Land Use Framework, bringing together the best possible land use data to create the principles, data, and tools needed to support decision-making for local governments, landowners, businesses, farmers, and nature groups.
In addition to protecting agriculture and contributing to the 1.5m homes figure, the Land Use Framework will also contribute to the preservation of nature as a part of climate targets.
Information will be gathered through workshops, inviting farmers and landowners to come to share their insights.
Secretary of state for the environment, Steve Reed, said: “Today is the start of a national conversation to transform how we use land in this country. It’s time for policy to leave the chambers of Westminster and reflect the actual lived experiences of farmers, landowners and planners on the ground.
“Using the most sophisticated land use data ever published, we will transform how we use our land to deliver on our Plan for Change. That means enabling the protection of prime agricultural land, restore our natural world and drive economic growth.
“This framework will not tell people what to do.
“It is about working together to pool our knowledge and resources, to give local and national government, landowners, businesses, farmers and nature groups the data and tools they need to take informed actions that are best for them, best for the land, and best for the country.
“This Government has a cast-iron commitment to maintain long-term food production.
“The primary purpose of farming will always be to produce food that feeds the nation.
“This framework will give decision makers the toolkit they need to protect our highest quality agricultural land.”
Industry and policy experts agree with the intentions
Roger Mortlock, CPRE chief executive, said: “Land is a finite resource. However, this simple truth rarely seems to influence how we use the limited supply we have. Our land is under more pressure than ever, with demand set to soon outstrip supply unless ill-judged decision making is replaced by a more strategic and joined-up approach. This will be the measure of the new Land-use Framework’s success.
“Land provides us with food, homes, energy and countless other things our society depends on. The framework should guide sustainable decisions that balance each of these demands. This will require a truly cross-government approach that gives the framework the teeth it needs to hold decision makers to account.
“If the government is serious about tackling the competing crises this country faces, the framework must not be allowed to sit on a shelf gathering dust. It must have a clear plan for implementation and be regularly reviewed, as is the case with the Land Commission in Scotland.
“Done well, the new framework could help us build new homes and infrastructure in the most suitable and strategic locations, support nature’s recovery and help to tackle the climate crisis.
“Land is critical to economic growth, but our finite land should not needlessly scarified in the name of growth.”
Roland Bull, Head of Rural Investment at Bidwells, said:”These reforms are massively overdue. For too long, the UK’s land use strategy has been short-sighted and driven by the wrong priorities that have undermined food security, energy needs, and environmental restoration.
“Spatial data is an underutilised tool, and must be better exploited to inform land policy and regulation. This new approach could finally bring some logic to the system, protecting our best farmland while making space for housing, renewables, and nature where they make the most sense.
“The principle is clear: keep prime land for food, put solar and environmental projects on lower-value land, and build homes on the grey belt. But the real challenge isn’t knowing what should happen, it’s making it happen. Will this framework cut through bureaucracy and deliver real change, or get stuck in red tape? Execution will be the real test, done right, this could transform how we plan for the future.”
Dave Dargan, CEO of Starship, said: “The Land Use Framework promotes smarter decision-making, moving beyond having to make a choice between building vital infrastructure and preserving nature. However, this important conversation around land use is much needed as it ensures land is used only to meet national priorities like housing, energy, healthcare, and education. For house building, this policy unlocks land for much-needed homes while aligning development with sustainability goals, benefiting both residents, developers and the environment. By prioritising sustainable development, the framework addresses the housing crisis while ensuring green space is preserved.”
