NPPF consultation – Calling for an End to Open Spaces Privatisation

CPRE Bedfordshire asks the Government to use reforms to NPPF to stop the privatisation of Public Open Spaces, Children’s Play areas, and Allotments on new housing developments – reducing escalating costs for residents and ending “Fleecehold” agreements.

The government consultation on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has now closed. The national CPRE response focused particularly on Green Belt protection, valued landscapes and rural affordable housing.

A summary of CPRE’s response to the NPPF consultation

CPRE Bedfordshire’s response asks the Government to use reforms to NPPF to stop the privatisation of public open spaces, children’s play areas, and allotments on new housing developments. We are calling for a reduction in the escalating costs for residents through the ending of “Fleecehold” agreements.

The privatisation of public open spaces, children’s play areas and allotments, takes place when landowners or new housing developers retain ownership instead of handing their management over to local authorities or parish councils. Instead, the developer uses a management company to charge residents for maintaining features such as hedgerows, grass verges, open green spaces, allotments and children’s play areas.

Residents, often unknowingly, enter into this is a form of leasehold agreement, when they purchase a new property. They are unable to challenge the charges and there is no limit on cost increases.

The management company fees can be substantially higher (between 2 and 4 times) than a parish or town council would charge for doing the same work.

Our submission suggests that the Government introduces the changes recommended by the Competitions & Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA came out firmly against the practice in October 2024, as part of their analysis of the UK housing market. This would ensure that developers or landowners hand over these public open spaces, play areas and allotments, to the local authority.

The Government agreed with the CMA analysis and called the practice “Fleecehold” but to date, has done nothing to stop it. This is leading to a substantially increased cost of living for people buying houses on new developments.

Read our consultation response

Read our detailed explanation of the privatisation process and the CMA Report.