Assessing viability in planning under the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 for England

Published March 2021
Effective from 1 July 2021
Reissued April 2023

This professional standard is intended to help professionals working in planning and development to apply the government’s national planning policy for England, which is currently focused on delivering 300,000 dwellings per annum. The government is trying to balance the need to deliver local plan objectives that affect us all with ensuring land for development comes forward. It has prescribed a way to assess viability for this purpose and helps professionals in the sector to do this faster and more transparently. It also responds to Judge Holgate’s suggestion that RICS produce additional guidance in this area of practice.

This document was reissued in April 2023 as a professional standard. It had previously been published in March 2021 as a guidance note. No material changes have been made to the document.