Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department provides to highway authorities on how the place before movement principle should be operationalised in rural transport assessments, particularly where multiple developments exert cumulative impacts across neighbouring settlements.

My officials work closely with counterparts in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on national planning policy, including how transport is considered in plan‑making and decision‑taking for new development.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in December 2024, requires transport to be considered from the earliest stages of planning, using a vision‑led approach to support well‑designed, sustainable places. This includes integrating movement, streets and parking into scheme design, including in rural areas. The Government consulted on further changes to the NPPF between December 2025 and March 2026 and will publish its response in due course, alongside updated planning guidance.

The Department for Transport has also developed the Government’s Connectivity Tool, which combines land‑use and transport data to provide a consistent measure of access to jobs and essential services. This tool can support authorities and in understanding connectivity and potential changes to connectivity when assessing new development.