Oral Answers to Questions

Henry Smith Excerpts

Monday 16th May 2022 Commons Chamber

[Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle) (Con)]

4. What steps his Department is taking to reform planning policy.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

8. What steps his Department is taking to give residents greater input on local developments.

[David Johnston (Wantage) (Con)]

17. What steps his Department is taking to give residents greater input on local developments.

--- Later in debate ---

[Stuart Andrew]

I am more than happy to meet my hon. Friend. There are measures in the Bill to try to address build-out rates, which are an important element that we have to tackle. Under the Bill, it will be necessary to supply the local authority with a commencement notice, an agreement on the number of houses that will be built each year and a completion notice. We are absolutely on this, and I assure my hon. Friend that we will do everything we can to ensure that the houses that have got permission are built.

[Henry Smith]

I welcome the Government’s reform of the planning system, but Homes England proposes the development of up to 10,000 houses on flood-prone green fields to the west of Ifield, just outside my constituency. That will put unacceptable pressure on local infrastructure, and although local people in my constituency will be most affected, they have no say over it. How will these planning proposals allow the people of Crawley to say no to the West of Ifield development?