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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has held with local planning authorities on ensuring that developers build homes that have enough (a) internal space for families to (i) store, (ii) prepare, (iii) cook and (iv) eat healthy food and (b) external space to grow fruit and vegetables.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the planning system creates sustainable, healthy places with high-quality homes.

Local councils have the option to implement the Nationally Described Space Standard to set minimum space standards in their local area where this can be justified, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The National Design Guide, which supports the NPPF, sets out the ten characteristics of well-designed places and recognises that well-designed homes provide internal and external space that support the health and wellbeing of residents.

In addition, the National Model Design Code, which guides local councils in the production of local design codes, emphasises the need for new development to provide high-quality internal and external living spaces that meet a range of needs. This includes sufficient space for the storage and preparation of healthy food as well as opportunities for food growing.