Planning Reform

Clive Betts Excerpts

Tuesday 16th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Pennycook]

There is a lot in the hon. Lady’s question, but let me say a couple of things. First, we have been clear as a Government that when new housing comes forward, it must be matched with new amenities and infrastructure. We strengthened the policies in the previous framework last year to provide for community infrastructure, but today’s draft framework consolidates and strengthens that even further. She will be interested in the new vision-led transport measures in the framework, again strengthening those provided for last year. We want the appropriate amenities and infrastructure to come with housing, because we want to create not just housing units, but thriving places and neighbourhoods for people to live.

[Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his efforts to get the homes built that the country needs, particularly for young people, who face the prospect of never being able to afford a home of their own. I have two questions. First, does he think that where a site is earmarked in a local plan for development, the local planning authority should give permission for that development automatically? Of course, the details will have to be considered at the time, but there should be a presumption that such sites will be given planning permission when an application is made. Secondly, the draft local plan in Sheffield, as he knows, is mainly geared up to building on brownfield sites, but there are some proposals to build on greenfield sites to create the additional number of homes. He has laid out the golden rules for infrastructure development that will go alongside house building, but will he give the assurance that if a site in the local plan is on green belt, the planning authority has the right to turn down an application, if infrastructure will not be provided alongside the development?

[Matthew Pennycook]

My hon. Friend tempts me, I think deliberately, to comment on his local plan, which, for reasons that he will appreciate, I cannot do. On the general principles, there are many factors that need to be considered when planning committees, officers or elected members consider particular application, but we want to see greater weight given to applications on sites that are allocated in the development plan. This goes to the question from the hon. Member for Chippenham (Sarah Gibson). We want plan-led development. Local plans are the cornerstone of our planning system. That is why it is such a problem that we inherited a planning system where the coverage of up-to-date local plans is only a third. We are determined to drive up coverage of local plans, and to drive plans to adoption as quickly as possible.

When it comes to the green belt, through the changes that we made last year, we have set out a very clear sequential test for what local planning authorities need to do when they have exhausted brownfield development, densification, cross-boundary planning and co-operation with local authorities. When they do need to review green belt, they should start with the poorer-quality green belt—grey belt—in the first instance, if that is required to meet their housing need.