UK Law Change to Protect Women in Public Spaces This Winter

Women’s safety is finally influencing how public spaces are designed. Here’s what the UK’s new policy means for women and girls.

Every young girl's first lesson was 'how to be street smart'. We were told never to go out after dark, never to walk home alone, the list goes on.

As the evenings get darker, women are once again being reminded to take steps to reduce their own risk of harm. As cases of violence against women and girls continue to rise, it's finally sparked political debate.

What is the new law change?

For the first time, women and girls are explicitly named in England's National Planning Policy Framework, the national rules that govern every new development, park, and public space built in the country.

The change was secured by Anna Sabine, a Liberal Democrat MP for Somerset, after the government's original draft contained no mention of women at all. She raised it with ministers, secured a parliamentary debate.

As Sabine put it: "We have become far too used to telling women to change their behaviour to stay safe." 

And she was heard.

What does the law change involve?

New developments must now consider design features proven to reduce risk: adequate lighting, overlooked entrances, clear walking and cycling routes, and varied recreational spaces.

Women in Sabine's constituency described being followed on dark lanes, waiting alone at isolated bus stops, and giving up running or cycling because they didn't feel safe. 

Why this law change is happening now.

The ONS recorded 3.2 million women in England and Wales experiencing domestic abuse, sexual victimisation or stalking in the year to March 2026.

The change doesn't retrofit existing spaces or guarantee implementation. But it establishes, for the first time in national policy, that public spaces should be designed to serve women that use them.

Source: National Planning Policy Framework, August 2026