Guidance

Land Use Framework: list of actions

Updated 23 July 2026

Land Use Framework table of actions

This information is grouped under subheadings for the 4 sections of the Land Use Framework, with a separate table for each section.

1. Consistent spatial plans

Action number	Action wording	Land Use Framework subsection	Status
1	Set out national spatial priorities for infrastructure as part of the refreshed 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy in 2027. This will be overseen by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) and will help to coordinate infrastructure investment.	Coordinating our national approach to land use	In progress
2	Publish an updated version of the National Planning Policy Framework following the consultation which ran from December 2025 to March 2026. The consultation proposed clearer, more ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making, designed to make planning policy easier to use and to underpin the delivery of faster and simpler local plans.	Coordinating our national approach to land use	In progress
3	Develop a coherent set of spatial plans for key infrastructure sectors, building on the approach being taken for energy, and using principles and insights from the Land Use Framework. Also coordinated by NISTA, this will provide a more effective basis for identifying and managing interactions between infrastructure and other place-based plans.	Coordinating our national approach to land use	In progress
4	Prioritise the development of Environmental Delivery Plans (EDP) based on their capacity to accelerate the building of homes and infrastructure, while unlocking the positive impact development can have in driving the recovery of protected sites and species. This will be informed by integrated spatial mapping and plans for different sectors.	Coordinating our national approach to land use	In progress
5	Establish a Land Use Unit in Defra to produce the first single map of national spatial priorities for Defra outcomes. When published on GOV.UK alongside wider Government priorities, this will give a unified spatial picture across food production, nature recovery, water, climate change, infrastructure, housing and growth. This will improve coordination and help prioritise investment in locations that reduce the tension between development and environment. We will publish this as a dynamic online map, integrating housing and growth priorities via the work of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority NISTA, to aid decision-making at the regional and local levels; it will not prescribe land uses.	Coordinating our national approach to land use	In progress
6	Develop a long-term assessment of climate change impacts on land use in 2°C and 4°C scenarios, which will inform spatial priorities for infrastructure, housing, food production and environmental outcomes – ensuring we deliver the right actions in the right place in a changing climate.	Coordinating our national approach to land use	In progress
7	Publish quantitative data about land use change needed to meet national environmental, climate and food outcomes, at the regional scale on GOV.UK.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	In progress
8	We will consider options for Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) to set out how the data and evidence from the Land Use Framework could support the preparation of Spatial Development Strategies.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	In progress
9	Continue to explore interactions between SDS and the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), due to be published in Autumn 2027. The SSEP will identify demands on land use, and consider them alongside societal and environmental factors, to spatially optimise the energy infrastructure required for generation and storage across Great Britain.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	In progress
10	Establish partnerships between national, regional and local decision-makers, including through Defra’s place-based Pathfinders and regional water planning piloting. This will include exploring how quantitative data about land use change for environmental and food outcomes, such as advisory regional forestry targets, could help in preparing local and regional strategies.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	In progress
11	Show how England’s local and regional planning system, taken as a whole, contributes to national objectives for growth, housing, food, environment, and climate change. We will do this by publishing national aggregations of local and regional sectoral spatial strategies and plans, that Government is able to collect data from, including Spatial Development Strategies.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	Not started
12	Deliver strengthened regional and catchment water planning overseen by the newly established Regional Water Planning Steering Group. This includes establishing regional planning groups across England to deliver early rollout and test regional planning functions, supporting delivery of national strategic objectives and regional and local priorities. We will also test how catchment partnerships can effectively convene cross-sector partners, harness local insight and implement solutions at the catchment level, to feed into regional planning.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	In progress
13	Publish a national map aggregating data from local nature recovery strategies (LNRS) in 2026, with analysis of priority land use change on GOV.UK. This will show what the LNRS propose for restoring nature and how they contribute to Environment Act targets and our 30by30 commitment.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	In progress
14	Use Planning Practice Guidance to support Strategic Planning Authorities in identifying opportunities to secure multiple land use benefits through their approach to development. This could include setting out how Spatial Development Strategies should take account of relevant LNRS, and how they can best consider wider strategic environmental and food opportunities associated with growth.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	Not started
15	Publish new guidance for Internal Drainage Boards which may clarify their climate and environmental purposes, reflect local environmental priorities, and incentivise the investments needed to manage water sustainably, including in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from peat soils.	Improving regional alignment across sectors	In progress

2. Supporting multifunctional and efficient land use

Action number	Action wording	Land Use Framework subsection	Status
16	Making a clear, long-term commitment to maintain overall food production in England, by increasing farm productivity and profitability, and developing sector plans to underpin our future food security and drive economic growth.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	Complete
17	Develop a portfolio of sector growth plans, beginning with horticulture and poultry, to provide a formal framework to strengthen domestic production and maintain food security. These plans will look at opportunities to improve productivity, profitability and resilience across farming sectors.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
18	Use the new Farming and Food Partnership Board, established following Baroness Batters’ independent Farming Profitability Review, to bring together senior leaders from farming, food production, retail, finance and Government and drive growth, productivity, long-term profitability across the farming sector. This will inform the Farming Roadmap, which will be published later this year.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
19	Include any permanent changes in agricultural land use in future Food Security Reports, and share this data with plan-makers so that the implications of strategic development decisions on food security can be better understood, and inform application of planning policy. This will enable us to monitor changes in land use and safeguard food production.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
20	Assess dependence on food imports in the UK Food Security Report in 2027, helping to ensure that land use changes here do not disproportionately increase our need for ‘imported hectares’ from abroad. Monitoring this change will enable Government to respond to the risk that we increasingly displace the nature and climate impacts of food production abroad.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
21	Introduce flexibility for farmers planting trees in fields to create agroforestry systems, allowing them to trial resilient farming approaches without being locked into permanent change through felling licencing. We will explore how to achieve this with the Forestry Commission.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
22	Build climate impacts and adaptation into policy design, including for Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, such as with the Climate Resilience of Agriculture project which is exploring how climate change may impact our food production, farming and livelihoods, and the potential adaptation solutions required. We will also examine how this work could be accessible to farmers or their advisors to help them mitigate and adapt to climate change.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
23	Provide up to £50m funding over the next 4 years for water infrastructure, local collaboration and trials of farming with a higher water table to support farmers and land managers to restore and undertake more sustainable management of lowland peat soils to reduce carbon emissions.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
24	Work with landowners, including members of the National Estates for Nature to test, implement and encourage wide uptake of longer-term tenancy agreements that include specific provisions for environmental improvement.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
25	Reform the Farm Tenancy Forum to give tenant farmers a greater role in policy making.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
26	Work with the Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector to ensure that the voice of the tenant farming sector on the impacts and opportunities of land use change informs policy and legislative developments.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
27	Work with the sector to understand what fair compensation is for tenants who may lose land to non-agricultural development to inform policy and legislative developments.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
28	Work with awarding organisations and partners, to review topics such as mixed farming and multifunctional land use in the T Level curriculum. This will improve skills around climate-resilient and nature-positive land management in the existing workforce and help to bring new entrants into farming and land management sectors to address capacity and capability shortages.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
29	Work with training providers to develop courses to upskill farm advisors in land management practices, and improve professional standards to ensure farmers and land managers can receive high quality, tailored support.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
30	Complete modelling in 2026 to map out workforce needs and skills requirements across Defra sectors up to 2050. This will inform how we take action to address capacity and skills gaps in land use sectors, such as identifying priorities for training and guidance.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	Complete
31	Launch a new Farmer Collaboration Fund later this year, with up to £30m funding over 3 years. This will facilitate collaboration between farmers to support a wide range of actions, including land use change activity.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	In progress
32	Support the launch of a new Innovation Academy at the new Royal Agricultural University Innovation Village. This will build skills and expertise in multi-functional land management to improve resilience in food production and expand on-farm innovation to deliver social and environmental benefits and a thriving rural economy.	Keeping landscapes productive for food	Not started
33	Improve the spatial prioritisation of water company investment through reforms to regional water planning, as announced in the Water White Paper.	Aligning incentives with spatial priorities	Not started
34	Invest in cross-sector catchment partnerships to strengthen catchment-level water planning. This will empower farmers and other local stakeholders to feed in proposals for action to tackle water system issues, to inform regional water planning and influence prioritisation of investment.	Aligning incentives with spatial priorities	In progress
35	Work with farmers to co-produce an approach that focuses payments for a selection of Sustainable Farming Incentives (SFI) actions in the areas where they will make the greatest impact from 2027, ensuring that all other actions continue to be available to farmers across England. To inform our approach, we will first publish the assumptions and analysis underpinning potential changes later this year to ensure the sector has full sight of the evidence we are considering. This will include maps of spatial suitability for priority environmental outcomes. Changes will be made incrementally to a clear timetable and will be subject to the findings of this published analysis, and the feedback we receive through coproduction.	Aligning incentives with spatial priorities	In progress
36	Invest in modernising digital farm and land services to give farmers clearer sight of the public and private funding opportunities available where they are.	Aligning incentives with spatial priorities	In progress
37	Provide further detail on how we expect farming advice and Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes to evolve over the next 5 to 10 years in the forthcoming Farming Roadmap, including through spatial targeting. It will set out that by 2030, some payments for land use change under Countryside Stewardship and any relevant payments under SFI will be spatially targeted. Landscape Recovery will be spatially prioritised. This is subject to the findings of the published analysis and the feedback we receive through the process of coproduction.	Aligning incentives with spatial priorities	In progress
38	Take steps to increase private demand for the environmental services that farmers and land managers can provide. We will set out more details in our response to the call for evidence on private demand for ecosystem services in March.	Diversifying the financing of land use change	In progress
39	Ensure that public payments can be combined with private payments as recommended by the Corry Review, making it easier for land managers to access a wider range of revenue opportunities.	Diversifying the financing of land use change	In progress
40	Require publication of data on nature and carbon market projects, enabling common mapping of actions so that farmers can see what is being proposed in the surrounding landscapes, allowing them to consider pursuing joined-up action with neighbours.	Diversifying the financing of land use change	Not started
41	Ensure that the recently doubled funding to catchment partnerships increases their capacity and capability to convene cross-sector partners, harness local insight and implement solutions at the catchment scale, feeding into regional planning. This will include projects which bring together funding from different sources such as water company investment, ELM payments and floods funding.	Diversifying the financing of land use change	In progress
42	Bring together farmers, agri-food businesses and major financial institutions to attract capital flows into the transition to sustainable and climate resilient farming, including through supporting work led by the Green Finance Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on a Nature Positive Pathway for the agri-food system in 2026.	Diversifying the financing of land use change	Not started
43	Explore further opportunities to use public land purchase, where there is land manager appetite, as a mechanism for increasing peatland restoration for environmental and climate delivery.	Diversifying the financing of land use change	In progress
44	Green Infrastructure framework: Exploring how we can integrate maps of green infrastructure into existing common data portals, to help users visualise where communities are missing out on green infrastructure benefits and target improvements appropriately. Providing local and responsible authorities with streamlined key metrics, suggested minimum targets and national data from within the Green Infrastructure Framework to make it easier for authorities to identify priorities. This data can be used to aid the development of SDS and urban elements of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS).	Multifunctional urban land	In progress
45	Update Biodiversity Duty guidance to provide more information to public authorities on how they can reduce the use of pesticides in public spaces (including through using Integrated Pest Management approaches) and advise that public authorities avoid the use of plastic grass in public spaces, unless for specific sporting sites. This will help public authorities reduce pressures on water quality and wildlife in urban areas.	Multifunctional urban land	Not started
46	As part of water planning reforms, identify opportunities and secure more investment for multifunctional sustainable urban drainage systems, such as wetlands and swales, which support biodiversity, store rainwater that would otherwise contribute to storm overflows, and reduce flood risk in urban areas.	Multifunctional urban land	In progress
47	Provide new guidance for planners and tree officers, working with organisations such as the Woodland Trust, Arboricultural Association and Royal Horticultural Society to help fill urban parks, woodlands and streets with trees and other habitats that deliver more for communities and their wildlife.	Multifunctional urban land	Not started
48	Revise street design guidance in the Manual for Streets to support local authorities in delivering more planting and trees through highways upgrades and active travel delivery.	Multifunctional urban land	In progress
49	Clarify with guidance, such as that for the public authority Biodiversity Duty, that authorities should consider awarding management of land to communities for food growing or nature recovery, and exploring whether further guidance would improve confidence in doing this. Explore how existing mapping tools and more publicly accessible land ownership data could be used to help local authorities and communities identify under-used land for these purposes.	Multifunctional urban land	Not started
50	Use statutory guidance to clarify communities’ ability to use new community right to buy powers to protect land that has value to the community, for example for its community food production, natural capital, or access benefits. Under the powers introduced through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, communities will be able to register land that furthers their economic or social interests as an asset of community value and, if the owner of the land puts it up for sale, communities will have the right of first refusal on its purchase.	Multifunctional urban land	In progress
51	Consult on the feasibility and demand for making landowner liability more proportionate to encourage access, in line with coastal access. This would look at the feasibility of applying the lower level of liability that applies to land subject to coastal access rights, to other land with public access, be that permissive or given under other legislation.	Access and recreation	Not started
52	Publish a government response summarising the outcomes of our consultation on proposals to designate 13 new bathing water sites in England, including new rivers and coastal waters that are already popular with bathers.	Access and recreation	Complete
53	Work with the sector and other stakeholder groups to explore wider measures such as licensing and any associated conditions for recreational gamebird shooting and release, going beyond current approaches which only apply on or near European protected sites. This will begin with evidence gathering and any proposed changes will be subject to public consultation.	Access and recreation	Not started

3. Making land digital

Action number	Action wording	Land Use Framework subsection	Status
54	Make foundational data on land linkable and available to all those who need it, through the Government National Data Library.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	In progress
55	Publish updated cross-Government land use statistics, using an updated methodology expected this year and taking advantage of new, more granular data from Ordnance Survey.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	In progress
56	Improve combined mapping platforms that enable decision-makers to see land through the lenses of different sectors. We will assess whether Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside (MAGIC), the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)’s Planning Data Platform, or an alternative, provides the best basis for this. In the short-term, we will provide a single directory of existing GOV.UK spatial mapping platforms to help decision-makers navigate the wide range of spatial data across sectors and continue to work to ensure that data is available for use in mapping tools developed by businesses.	Improving the availability of decision-making data and improving regional alignment across sectors	In progress
57	Work with providers of foundational national geospatial data, such as Ordnance Survey, over the next 12 months to understand user needs when increasing access to richer land data, and to test options for improving data accessibility and interoperability for decision-making.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	In progress
58	Publish a map of Defra’s public spending on land management, nature restoration and land use change activity within the next 12 months. This will increase transparency and support more diversified funding sources and blended finance approaches between public and private partners.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	In progress
59	Provide an open-access National Soil Map of England and Wales (NATMAP) by spring 2026, making the definitive source of soils information in the UK freely available.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	Complete
60	Publish a Predictive Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) map, technical annex and mapping layer this spring to replace the outdated Provisional ALC map. We will complete a technical review of the ALC system by 2028 so that new data and methodologies are incorporated to better classify agricultural land. This will help to strengthen our assessment of, and decision-making on, the role of land in long-term food security and, along with other evidence on agricultural production potential, ensure food production continues to be considered in planning decisions.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	In progress
61	Publish all survey condition data that the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme collects through Defra’s open Data Services Platform and complete a baseline assessment of our natural assets by 2029. This will provide the basis for long-term investment decisions in land and land use change. Explore how we can supplement Government-collected data with citizen science observations and emerging technologies such as Earth Observation.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	In progress
62	Modernise environmental datasets and integrate more environmental data (such as layers for cultural heritage, climate change resilience and adaptation, air quality and artificial light and noise pollution) into common mapping platforms. This will include reviewing assumptions to address barriers to nature recovery. For example, exploring potential barriers to woodland creation and expansion in the uplands with a review of the implementation of the Low Sensitivity Map for Woodland Creation.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	Not started
63	Work with partners to address key data gaps reported by regional decision-makers, such as public rights of way and local biodiversity data, and to improve processes. For example, work with Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and Local Environmental Records Centres to explore how to share information about Local Wildlife Sites without undermining the business models that enable stewardship of local data.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	In progress
64	Launch new research projects to better understand how different habitats might be affected by future climate change, including extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, drought and extreme rainfall. This will be part of a wider project exploring how land use change actions might impact the environment. Insights will be published and inform policies such as Environmental Land Management schemes.	Improving the availability of decision-making data	Not started
65	Publish additional land use analysis later this year on GOV.UK	Improving the availability of decision-making data	In progress
66	Reform data sharing across Government and with relevant partners to support digital innovation with Government land data, including incorporating geospatial data standards and expanding relevant Application Programming Interfaces (API) for environmental data sets relevant to land management and planning decisions over the next 12 months.	Reforming Data Tools and Systems	In progress
67	Explore options to better integrate Government mapping tools and address any identified gaps.	Reforming Data Tools and Systems	In progress
68	Digitise land data as part of wider reforms, such as the Government’s Digital Planning Programme and a future farm and land service for farmers and land managers. This will include enabling digital submission, collation and sharing of information. This will reduce the burdens placed on farmers and land managers and make it easier for them to take decisions about the land they farm whilst also improving quality and accuracy of land data.	Reforming Data Tools and Systems	In progress
69	Work with HM Land Registry this year to provide access to free, spatial land ownership data for larger properties covering the vast majority of England and Wales, excluding almost all homeowners.	Expanding transparency of land ownership	In progress
70	Develop options this year for reporting on broad trends in land ownership so that ownership consolidation be monitored.	Expanding transparency of land ownership	Not started
71	Explore options to incentivise registration of the remaining unregistered 10% of England’s land. First, for example by engaging owners and land managers on the benefits and barriers to registration. Then, from 2029, by encouraging land registration through public payment schemes, whilst ensuring that this would not unfairly impact tenant farmers and land managers.	Expanding transparency of land ownership	Not started

4. Sharing responsibility for the stewardship of the land

Action number	Action wording	Land Use Framework subsection	Status
72	Publish the Government Estate Nature Plan in 2026, ensuring that Government land contributes meaningfully to reversing nature’s decline, strengthening our economy, and safeguarding the wellbeing of future generations.	The Government Estate	Complete
73	Publish land use plans by April 2026. National Estate for Nature (NEN) members have committed to a ‘minimum standard’ of action, including published estate management quantifying land cover and land use, with intended contribution to nature recovery and emissions reduction.	Major landowners	In progress
74	Apply the Land Use Framework Principles. National Estate for Nature (NEN) members have committed to apply the principles on their estates over the next 12 months.	Major landowners	In progress
75	Explore options for major landowners to report on how climate impacts will affect their land management functions as part of the 5th Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP) in its 2026 consultation. Defra will provide guidance, and make decisions on an approach informed by engagement with major landowners.	Major landowners	Complete
76	Review other options for major estates to report on their landscape management over the next 12 months, such as exploring the scope of the Agriculture Act 2020.	Major landowners	In progress
77	Work with organisations like the Royal Horticultural Society and Nature Towns and Cities on guidance and tools for individuals and communities taking action in their own spaces, including gardens and community managed spaces, to support wildlife, food production and wellbeing. We will link to these on GOV.UK.	Citizens and local communities	In progress
78	Support the development of new capabilities in Defra and other departments to gather further insights to inform ongoing analysis published on GOV.UK. This will not be for resolving individual cases or projects, but will enable faster adaptation of policy to support delivery of the change we need.	Citizens and local communities	In progress
79	Government will explore how farmer groups could share their priorities, potentially through spatial maps and plans, to support the integration of food production into spatial planning.	Landscape partnerships	Not started