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 merits of awarding material planning status to adopted local plans which are awaiting full inspection and which meet the objectively assessed need; and if he will make a statement.

A local plan cannot be adopted by a local planning authority until it has been tested at examination by an independent Inspector and found to be sound.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework is clear that authorities may give weight to relevant policies in emerging plans according to their stage of preparation; the extent to which there are unresolved objectives; and the degree of consistency with the Framework.