National tool for local plans
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Government should deliver a single, cross‑government
National Tool for Local & Neighbourhood Plans
N*I*S*T
N*I*S*T
The National Infrastructure Spatial Tool was developed with MHCLG and operated with the National Infrastructure & Service Transformation Authority (NISTA)
The National Infrastructure Spatial Tool was developed with MHCLG and operated with the National Infrastructure & Service Transformation Authority (NISTA)
It is a cross‑sector spatial platform that combines strategies, datasets and models for transport, energy, water/wastewater, flood risk and digital telecoms to assess local infrastructure capacity and constraints for future growth scenarios, generating granular local projections to approximately 2035/2050
It is a cross‑sector spatial platform that combines strategies, datasets and models for transport, energy, water/wastewater, flood risk and digital telecoms to assess local infrastructure capacity and constraints for future growth scenarios, generating granular local projections to approximately 2035/2050
Providing this capability to Spatial Development Strategy bodies, Local Planning Authorities and Neighbourhood planning bodies via a simple web workspace and open APIs would make spatial options, transport outcomes and environmental implications consistent nationwide, similar to the DfT Connectivity Tool
Providing this capability to Spatial Development Strategy bodies, Local Planning Authorities and Neighbourhood planning bodies via a simple web workspace and open APIs would make spatial options, transport outcomes and environmental implications consistent nationwide, similar to the DfT Connectivity Tool
Proposed architecture
Proposed architecture
1) NIST Core Layer (NISTA‑operated)
The authoritative cross‑government platform integrating cross‑sector models and producing localised capacity/need projections to support place‑based investment and spatial planning.
2) National Data Infrastructure Layer
A unified repository, exposed via open APIs, that aggregates:
Transport networks and timetables (DfT/GBR) for rail and other modes.
Land‑use and planning datasets from MHCLG planning and open‑data services.
Environmental constraints (Defra MAGIC / Natural England).
ONS projections for population and households, and ONS Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) employment data.
3) National Mobility & Accessibility Models
A multimodal scenario engine (rail/bus/tram, walking/cycling and road), aligned with NIST’s cross‑sector approach, for testing plan options and corridor strategies, with insights from the DfT Connectivity Tool, ensuring consistency between national accessibility scoring and the scenario testing undertaken within the National Tool
4) Emissions & Environmental Overlays
Standardised carbon accounting and automated overlays drawing on NIST’s integrated infrastructure–environment datasets, enabling rapid screening against environmental constraints and climate objectives
5) Planning Workspace & APIs
A browser‑based workspace where SDS bodies, LPAs and Neighbourhood Forums/Parish Councils upload allocations or site options, test scenarios such as station‑area intensification and corridor packages, and generate consistent evidence outputs for Local Plans, SDSs and Neighbourhood Plans; open APIs allow third‑party tools to consume the same authoritative datasets
How government could build and operate it
Adopt NIST as the backbone for plan‑making analytics and formalise cross‑government data‑sharing and governance under NISTA
Wire in MHCLG planning and open‑data feeds (Planning Data Platform and Open Data Communities) and publish stable, versioned APIs for plan evidence
Deliver the Planning Workspace (option‑testing UI and APIs) with templated outputs for SDS, Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan evidence, including transport and environmental summaries using NIST overlays
Roll out nationally and provide support and training, operating the service under NISTA governance with DLUHC as planning lead, expanding access from central analysts to all SDS/LPAs and neighbourhood planning bodies
Access model
Initial: cross‑government analysts and selected SDS/LPAs via pilots.
Full: all SDS bodies, LPAs and Neighbourhood Forums/Parish Councils, plus open APIs for suppliers and civic tech
Benefits and risks
Benefits: faster, more consistent plan‑making; a common evidence base across corridors and authorities; clear linkage between infrastructure capacity and growth; reduced duplication of local modelling; transparency via open data and APIs
Risks/challenges: cross‑department governance and data maintenance; sustained cloud/compute; managing transition from bespoke local models to national services
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