England planning proposals fail to mention safety of women and girls, say critics

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Alexandra Topping Political correspondentJanuary 28, 2026 at 02:00 PM

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Critics are raising concerns that England's proposed overhaul of its planning system fails to address the safety of women and girls. The draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), intended to increase housebuilding, makes no mention of gendered safety, despite the government's own strategy to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) emphasizing the importance of planning in ensuring women's safety. Experts, MPs, and urban planners argue that this omission could embed risk and inequality into new developments. They point to the VAWG strategy and the Angiolini inquiry report, both published around the same time, which call for integrating women's safety into public space planning. While the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) stated the NPPF focuses on housebuilding and planning, not VAWG, critics argue that neglecting gendered safety in planning policy is a significant oversight.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Susannah Walker 50% Jess Phillips 50% Matthew Pennycook 50% Wayne Couzens 60% Anna Sabine ×260% Gideon Amos 60% Dame Elish Angiolini 60% Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government ×270% National Planning Policy Framework ×370% Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy ×480% England ×280% Sarah Everard ×390%

Keywords

women's safety 100% planning proposals 90% violence against women and girls 80% gendered safety 70% national planning policy framework 60% public spaces 50% housebuilding 50% urban planning 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

England

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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women's safety planning proposals violence against women and girls gendered safety national planning policy framework public spaces housebuilding urban planning

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