Planning Policy Statements

Planning Policy Statements (PPS) were UK government statements of national policy and principles towards certain aspects of the town planning framework. In recent years they only applied to England. However, they still exist within the Northern Irish System.

They were not legally binding, but the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 required that they were considered by authorities preparing development plans, and may be treated as material considerations in the determination of planning applications. They had gradually been replacing the old style Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG).

In December 2010 the Department for Communities and Local Government announced that all PPSs would be replaced by a single document, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). A consultation draft of this new document was published on 25 July 2011. The final version of this document was published on 27 March 2012. It became a material consideration in planning matters on publication. It replaced all PPSs and all remaining PPGs, plus a number of letters to chief planning officers.

PPS covered the following matters: