Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps under the National Planning Policy Framework to increase protections for (a) chalk streams and (b) ancient woodlands.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, which can include ancient woodland and chalk streams, should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists.