Defra has published England’s first-ever and long-awaited Land Use Framework.
The framework acts as a plan for delivering new homes, nature restoration, clean energy and food security, and demonstrates that there is enough land to deliver the government’s objectives provided it is used efficiently and for multiple benefits, according to Defra
The report, which is based on the most advanced land use analysis ever undertaken, also found that changes should play to the strengths of the land and that cross-sector opportunities are key to efficiency and growth.
The government department said that “for too long, fragmented decision-making has led to inefficient land use and left us exposed in the short term and vulnerable to climate change”.
Now the framework will give “decision-makers a single, shared vision for how we can play to the strengths of our diverse landscapes”, which Defra said would help landowners, planners and energy providers to make effective decisions.
The report is broken up into housing, energy infrastructure and clean power, food production, nature recovery, resilient landscapes and landscapes for water categories.
Under food security, the government has pledged that by 2030 farmers and land managers will have clarity on the long-term opportunities for their land and policy on food production to enable greater investment.
Additionally, it said that by 2050 agricultural land will be managed to prioritise sustainable food production and environmental benefits.
According to Defra, this would look like England producing more of the food that is consumed here “partly because more of our land will efficiently grow the high-value food that people recognise on their plates, rather than the ingredients for processed and unhealthy food or animal feed, and farmers will see more of this value”.
It added that farmland will be more resilient to the impacts of climate change through sustainable management and multifunctional land use.
“This framework makes a clear, long-term commitment to maintain overall food production in England, to underpin our future food security and drive economic growth,” said Defra secretary Emma Reynolds in the introduction to the report. “It sets out how we will safeguard our most productive land and give every farmer, whether owner or tenant, the rights, data and certainty to invest with confidence.”
Farmers, who have experienced one of the wettest winters on record, will benefit from sophisticated new modelling to help them future-proof their businesses, Defra added.
Incentives will also be optimised to deliver for nature and resilient food production, as well as giving more rights and greater certainty to tenant farmers by reforming the Farm Tenancy Forum to give them a greater role in policymaking.
Principles and implementation
Over the next year, the government will establish a dedicated Land Use Unit to drive delivery of the framework and produce England’s first single map of national spatial priorities for Defra. This is designed to align national and local strategies, accelerate decision-making and give more certainty to investors and developers, the government said.
The report outlined four key land use principles: multifunctionality; right use, right place; future-ready decisions; and adaptive by design.
The government has said it will take a leading role in applying these principles, including using them to inform the development of policy and delivery mechanisms where they relate to or affect the use of land.
Implementing the framework will involve consistent spatial plans, supporting multifunctional and efficient land use, making land digital and sharing responsibility for the stewardship of land.
“Our land is a vital national asset, but it is finite. We cannot be held back by the false choices between building homes and producing food, restoring nature and supporting farmers, or delivering clean energy and protecting landscapes,” said Reynolds in a speech at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. “With better data, smarter tools and strategic planning, we can meet all these needs.
”This ensures people can manage their land in the way that works best for them while unlocking growth, strengthening food security and protecting our environment.”
‘A step in the right direction’
The report has been welcomed by food and farming groups including NFU president Tom Bradshaw, as a “step in the right direction”.
“It’s positive to see an explicit recognition of multifunctional land use and a commitment to maintain food production within the framework,” he said. “This commitment, alongside the repetition from Defra that food security is national security, is vital as the global geopolitical situation continues to become more uncertain with the war in the Middle East and ongoing war in Ukraine.”
His positivity was echoed by Lydia Collas, head of natural environment at Green Alliance, who described it as a “big step forward”.
However, Bradshaw added that while a positive step, challenges remain about delivering against the 2030 targets, urging the government to provide “clear guidance, the right policy framework and incentives”.
He also highlighted the policy gaps still remaining including the 25-year Farming Roadmap to the delivery of the Farming and Food Partnership Board, the first meeting of which is anticipated this month.
Soil Association policy director Brendan Costelloe said: “It is great news that we finally have a Land Use Framework. Our food system is dangerously vulnerable to shocks like war and climate change, and this is a step towards greater resilience.”
However, he added that there now had to be a “strategic direction for the kind of food we produce, so we can create more space for habitats and nature-friendly farming” by using less land for food for industrial agriculture and more for fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses.
The framework was developed after extensive public consultation, which began last January.
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