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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June to Question 191430 on Local Plans: Green Belt, whether his department has received any representations from local authorities which (a) indicate that they are and (b) request further guidance on whether they should be preparing local plans in line with (i) Written Ministerial Statement of 6 December 2022, HCWS415 on the Levelling Up Bill and (ii) the National Planning Policy Framework.

The Government’s priority for getting up to date plans in place has not changed and we have been clear that local planning authorities should continue to progress their plans.

Authorities that fail to ensure up to date plans are in place are failing their communities by not recognising the homes and other facilities that local people need, and relying on ad hoc, speculative development that may not make the most of their area’s potential.