Planning Reform

Jen Craft Excerpts

Tuesday 16th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Pennycook]

I am afraid that I fundamentally disagree with the right hon. Gentleman. Mandatory housing targets have an important role to play in a functioning housing and planning system, and we have seen the impact—in nosediving supply—of what happens when anti-supply changes are made to the NPPF. On the specific change that he references, yes, we are changing the referral criteria so that they apply not just to planning applications that might be accepted and that the previous Government wanted to ensure could be blocked, but to planning applications that might be refused and that we might want to see come forward.

[Jen Craft (Thurrock) (Lab)]

This morning I accompanied my constituents Jacob and Mikey to No. 10 to make a heartfelt plea to the Prime Minister for accessible playgrounds. I welcome the Minister’s statement, especially the inclusion of play spaces and their importance for children and young people. Can he assure me that disabled children and their families will be consulted on how to make these play spaces accessible?

[Matthew Pennycook]

I want to mention again the advocacy and work that my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Tom Hayes) did on this subject through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill; he persuaded us to look at it very closely. The new policies on children’s play signal strong support for providing and safeguarding areas for children’s play, both through plan making and when dealing with development proposals. Importantly—my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jen Craft) is right to reference this—they make it clear that local communities should be actively involved in the design of play areas, so that they are inclusive and reflect local needs.