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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 30 July 2024, whether the absence of a five-year land supply for traveller sites would constitute grounds for traveller site development in the green belt in the context of (a) a local plan and (b) an individual planning decision.

Without changing its purposes or general extent, the Government will take a more strategic approach to Green Belt land designation and release, so that we can build more homes in the right places. Land released in the Green Belt will be subject to new “golden rules” to ensure it delivers in the public interest.

The Government is currently consulting on a number of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). These include proposals to release low-quality grey belt land within the Green Belt to meet housing and other development needs. We are seeking views on how the proposals under the NPPF would apply to traveller sites, particularly concerning the sequential test to guide release, the definition of grey belt and previously developed land, and proposals that are considered not to be inappropriate development.

The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites sets out that local authorities should produce their own assessment of need and plan to meet this need through their Local Plan.

Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use to tackle all types of unauthorised development. Our proposals do not impact on these and we will keep the use of them under review.