Windfall site
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in 2021, defined windfall sites very loosely as: ‘Sites not specifically identified in the development plan.’
This definition was repeated in the revised NPPF in 2024.
The 2012 National Planning Policy Framework defined windfall sites as: 'Sites which have not been specifically identified as available in the Local Plan process. They normally comprise previously-developed sites that have unexpectedly become available.'
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