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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department’s policy is on the building of (a) Traveller sites and (b) other forms of housing on greenfield land.

The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites sets out that local planning authorities should limit very strictly new traveller site development in open countryside away from existing settlements or outside areas allocated in the development plan. Local Planning Authorities should ensure that sites in rural areas respect the scale of, and do not dominate, the nearest settled community, and avoid placing undue pressure on local infrastructure.

Regarding other forms of housing, the National Planning Policy Framework states that planning policies and decisions should avoid the development of isolated homes in the countryside unless certain circumstances apply, such as an essential need for a rural worker, or design of exceptional quality. To promote sustainable development in rural areas, housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities.