How new planning rules will change the design of UK streets
Key Points
- New streets must give priority first to walking, wheeling and cycling, then to public transport access.
- The Framework names women and girls three separate times as a group whose safety must shape street layout and public space.
- New streets should be tree-lined unless there are strong reasons against it.
- Councils should refuse schemes that conflict with the design principles without clear justification.
- The policy took effect on 17 August 2026.
Streets in new developments across England must now put people on foot ahead of people in cars.
Policy TR4 of the new National Planning Policy Framework instructs developers to give priority first to walking, wheeling and cycle movements, both within a scheme and into neighbouring areas. Wheeling covers wheelchairs, mobility scooters and similar mobility aids.
Second priority is given to easy access to high quality public transport through layouts and densities that maximise catchments for bus services.
The policy lists some of the features that will support this shift, including:
- Permeable street networks
- Continuous footways
- Segregated and adequately lit cycle routes,
- Secure cycle parking
- Regularly spaced public seating
- Good quality waiting facilities for public transport.
Safety for women and girls is also a top priority and runs through three separate policies.
- TR4 requires street arrangements that are safe, inclusive and attractive for all users, singling out women and girls, other groups vulnerable to crime or the fear of crime, and people with limited mobility.
- Design policy DP3 asks for public spaces that are safe, secure and accessible for all ages and abilities, delivered through legible pedestrian and cycle routes, integrated lighting and building entrances and windows facing onto streets to provide natural surveillance.
- Policy P5 requires proposals to identify safety risks and proportionate mitigation at design stage, again naming women and girls, alongside physical hazards to children where open water or transport infrastructure sits nearby.
Parking and charging also come with their own requirements. Schemes must provide a suitable number of spaces for a range of transport modes, reflecting the location, its connectivity and any local standards, and must include electric vehicle charging in safe, accessible and convenient locations.
Trees and enforcement
Policy N3 states that new streets should be tree-lined unless there are strong reasons why that would be inappropriate on specific streets.
Developers must match species and placement to highways requirements and the needs of different users, seek arboricultural advice, and make provision for the long-term maintenance of both existing and newly planted trees.
Notably these are not simply recommendations and the new design rules carry teeth.
Policy DP3 states that councils should refuse proposals that conflict with the design principles or with explicit design standards in the development plan, without clear justification, and gives substantial weight to compliance with local design policies.
The framework also directs substantial weight to outstanding or innovative designs that promote high levels of sustainability, so long as they fit the form and layout of their surroundings.
