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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including a water neutral planning policy requirement within the OxCam Arc development.

On 18 February the Government published ‘Planning for sustainable growth in the Oxford Cambridge Arc’ where we set out the principles for how we will develop a Spatial Framework for the Arc. It will be based on a long-term, strategic approach to planning for growth across the area, unlocking its long term potential in a sustainable way and improving the Arc as a place to live and work.

In it we outline that we support an integrated approach to water management. This means setting high standards for new development, ensuring sustainable water abstraction and drought resilience, supporting water quality and support for reducing risk and resilience to flooding. It will also look at where new infrastructure should be developed, as well as incorporating nature-based solutions.

The Framework will be based on a robust and comprehensive evidence base, and we will make sure we understand the environmental, social and economic implications of proposed policies before we finalise, adopt and implement them, underpinned by a full and integrated sustainability appraisal.

As part of developing the case for new Development Corporations in the Arc, infrastructure and environmental assessments will be undertaken, including in relation to water.