Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to reclassify the status of airfields to greenfield under planning regulations.

It is our National Planning Policy Framework, not regulation, that defines brownfield. This states clearly that, if a site is brownfield, it should not be assumed that the whole curtilage should be developed. Whilst this Government is keen to ensure the re-use of brownfield sites that are not of high environmental value, especially for new homes, it would be for the local authority to decide whether an airfield should be retained for general aviation; whether a site, or part of a site, is suitable for redevelopment; and whether former airfield land should be retained for uses such as nature conservation, recreation or agriculture.

The local authority should have regard to all relevant policies in the National Planning Policy Framework including, where relevant, the policy for airports and airfields (that are not subject to a separate national policy statement) which expects local planning authorities to take account of their growth and role in serving business, leisure, training and emergency needs.