Land use and land use change statistics: methodology changes

Overview

Topic of this consultation

This consultation seeks user views on a new methodology for the Land Use in England (stock) and Land Use Change statistical series.

Scope of this consultation

The Land Use Statistics statistics describe how England's land is used — how much is residential, agricultural, woodland, transport and so on — and how that changes over time, including how much new residential development happens on different land types.

The statistics are currently published up to 2022 and rely on Ordnance Survey (OS) data that OS is retiring. Its replacement, the National Geographic Database (NGD), gives a richer and more detailed picture of England's land, but the statistics cannot be produced from it using the existing method.

The statistics were last published for the year 2022. Following Ordnance Survey's introduction of the National Geographic Database (NGD), we are rebuilding the methodology using this new data source.

In advance of restarting the series, this consultation sets out our proposed approach and seeks views on its key features and implications, including:

• a new, more detailed set of land use categories;
• a break in the time series, meaning the new statistics should not be directly compared with those published up to 2022;
• the schedule on which the new and resumed publications will appear.

Geographical scope

These proposals relate to statistics for England only.

Duration

This consultation will run for six weeks, from 16 September 2026 to 28 October 2026.

Enquiries

For any enquiries about this consultation, email Planning.Statistics@communities.gov.uk