Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that ancient woodlands and trees are protected during the construction of new housing developments.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) affords strong protection to ancient woodland, and aged or veteran trees. We acknowledged in the Housing White Paper, that this protection could be further clarified and intend to publish a draft NPPF for consultation early this year.

In the event planning permission is granted for development, the local planning authority can impose planning conditions to ensure the protection of trees and ancient woodland to be retained, in line with the policies set out in the NPPF.