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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase the supply of housing in the Forest of Dean.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes a new Standard Method for assessing housing needs that is aligned to our Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new safe and decent homes in England by the end of this Parliament.  Under the revised standard method, the Forest of Dean’s annual housing target has risen from 330 dwellings per annum to 600.

In rural areas, local planning authorities should support opportunities to bring forward rural exception sites that will provide affordable housing to meet identified local needs and consider whether allowing some market housing on these sites would help facilitate this. Planning policies should also identify opportunities for villages to grow and thrive especially where this will support local services.