Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Sustainable development definition

What does Sustainable development mean? In legal practice, sustainable development describes decision‑making that balances economic growth with social wellbeing and environmental protection, commonly applied in planning, infrastructure consenting, environmental assessment and public policy. The concept originates from the Brundtland (1987) formulation. It is largely a descriptive expression rather than a single statutory definition, but it is given legal effect through legislation and policy across the UK and Ireland. In England, it underpins the National Planning Policy Framework’s presumption in favour of sustainable development (with economic, social and environmental objectives) and informs plan‑making and nationally significant infrastructure policy (for example, Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, s39;...

2012 NPPF Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development (Archived): Plan‑Making, Decision‑Taking, Exceptions, Five‑Year Housing Land Supply and Leading Case Law (England)

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Practice notes

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This archived Practice Note offers a summary of the presumption in favour of sustainable development as contained in the 2012 edition of the National Planning Policy Framework (2012 nppf). On 24 July 2018, the government issued a revised NPPF (the 2018 NPPF), which replaced the 2012 NPPF and, with it, the policy text on the presumption in favour of sustainable development set out in the 2012 NPPF. The 2012 NPPF was archived and the presumption it contained will therefore only continue to have effect in certain situations, as outlined below. For details of the presumption currently in force, see Practice Note: Presumption in favour of sustainable development. Note that the NPPF was revised again in 2019, 2021, September 2023 and December 2023, but those later updates are not addressed in this archived Practice Note.

Policy context

The 2012 NPPF was published on 27 March 2012 and came into force immediately. It brought together over 1,000 pages of planning policy statements, guidance and circulars into a single document. Placed at the core of the 2012 NPPF was the presumption in favour of sustainable development...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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