Planning overhaul 'will boost economy," says UK business The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) replaces 1,000 pages of planning policy with about 50, designed to ensure that building will not be held up unless approving it goes against a "collective interest." "Future generations will be thankful that the Government has held its nerve on this," said John Cridland, director-general of the CBI. Simon Walker, head of the Institute of Directors, was also in favour. "Being able to develop new shops, houses and factories is crucial to delivering economic growth, and too often planning regulations have prevented that," he said. Builders, who have long pressed for less planning red tape, said the overhaul should prove a major boon. "If used positively by all participants, the NPPF can deliver a far more constructive, creative and open planning system," said Pete Redfern, chief executive of homebuilder Taylor Wimpey. Robert Hunt, of Veolia Environmental Services, which builds waste and recycling plants, added: "Just as the major 19th century industrial projects created wealth and social advancement, so too will key investment in Britain's key service infrastructure." The Institute of Economic Affairs argued that the NPPF should have gone even further in liberalising the system, complaining that the commitment to sustainable development will raise building costs and reduce supply. However, worries over the impact of unrestrained new building have been strongly voiced by conservation groups. In an apparent nod to such fears, key changes since the draft NPPF was published in July included more protection for the countryside and a grace period during which councils should get their own planning policies in place, lest they carry less weight in decision-making. Alastair Stewart, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity, said that the removal of a commitment to "increase significantly the delivery of new homes" suggested that "civil servants may now be questioning what we have described as the 'mantra" that the UK is building half the number of homes needed."