Planning Intelligence Weekly — Issue 001
Monday 23 June 2026
What lenders actually read this week
Three things that moved development finance decisions in England this week.
1. Housing land supply — the number that unlocks senior debt
Five-year housing land supply (5YHLS) figures shifted in several LPAs this month. When an LPA falls below five years, the tilted balance in paragraph 11(d) of the NPPF applies — meaning a refusal is harder to defend at appeal. For brokers, that's a direct signal: sites in undersupplied LPAs carry lower planning risk, and lenders know it.
Cornwall Council currently sits below five years. That matters for every site you're packaging in the South West right now.
2. S106 affordable housing — the threshold that keeps moving
Several LPAs have updated their affordable housing thresholds following the NPPF December 2024 revisions. Sites of 10 or more units now face mandatory affordable housing obligations in most of England. Smaller sites — under 10 units — may still attract contributions depending on local policy. If your viability appraisal isn't modelling S106 exposure accurately, your lender pack has a hole in it.
3. Planning appeal trends — what's getting allowed
Residential appeals on brownfield sites continue to succeed at a higher rate than greenfield. The common thread in allowed appeals: robust evidence on housing need, clear sustainability credentials, and a credible viability case. Inspectors are increasingly dismissive of objections that aren't backed by a five-year supply calculation.
Planning Intelligence Weekly is published every Monday by PlanSureAI. It covers what matters for development finance in England — planning policy shifts, appeal trends, and S106 updates. Nothing else.