In the government’s latest consultation regarding changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England , the only paragraph that speaks to the regulation of outdoor advertising sites is earmarked for removal.
Paragraph 141 of the December 2024 NPPF currently reads:
“The quality and character of places can suffer when advertisements are poorly sited and designed. A separate consent process within the planning system controls the display of advertisements, which should be operated in a way which is simple, efficient and effective. Advertisements should be subject to control only in the interests of amenity and public safety, taking account of cumulative impacts.”
The proposed new NPPF which is being consulted on from December 2025 to 10th March 2026 would remove this paragraph. Civil servants in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government informed the Adfree Cities team that:
“The approach we’ve taken in the new draft NPPF is to ensure that it contains only planning policy. We have therefore made a conscious decision to remove any of the current NPPF content, such as paragraph 141, which is effectively just repeating what is set out in legislation or is more guidance than policy. We will be reviewing the planning practice guidance in due course and as part of that, we will consider whether any further guidance on the advertisement consent regime is needed.”
Adfree Cities response:
- Paragraph 141 on advertising is the only place in the legislation, regulation, policy or guidance covering outdoor advertising that mentions “cumulative impacts“. Removing this paragraph would therefore weaken the overall planning controls regarding whether new outdoor advertising screens are granted planning permission – at a time when they need to be updated and strengthened to better protect communities.
- The UK Court of Appeal has confirmed that national planning policy and national planning guidance have equal status in decision-making (March 2025). However, given that this ruling is relatively recent, understanding of this equal footing amongst planning officers in local councils who are often under-resourced, may be patchy. There is a prevailing view that planning guidance is subordinate to national planning policy.
UK government consultation portal on proposed changes to National Planning Policy Framework
Reference documents:
- The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 (also known as the statutory instrument or secondary legislation)
- Planning Practice Guidance on Advertisements (2019)
- Further information of how outdoor advertising planning consents are regulated in the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- For a broader climate assessment of the proposed NPPF revisions, see this analysis from the Town and Country Planning Association “Ignoring flood risks and an end to net zero homes: the proposed NPPF contains tangible regression on climate policy” (January 2026)
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