The National Policy Planning Framework has streamlined government planning policy, but has raised questions for local authorities, say Irwin Mitchell's Oliver Martin and Holly Trotman

The National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF) was published on 27 March and came into effect on the same day. It replaced a raft of planning policy and other guidance issued by central Government over the years, cutting about 1,000 pages to just 50 pages.

Given some of the media coverage on this issue, it is worth highlighting that the introduction of the NPPF is not a change in the law. Our planning system is plan-led.