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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to protect bridleways in the context of changes to national planning regulations.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should protect and enhance public rights of way and access, including taking opportunities to provide better facilities for users, for example by adding links to existing rights of way networks including National Trails.

The government will consult on a new suite of national policies for decision making later this year and as part of that exercise we will consider whether any changes are needed to policy relating to public rights of way.