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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact that the removal of the Gardens Trust as a statutory consultee in the planning system on (a) local planning authorities, (b) UK tourism, (c) climate change and (d) the sustainability of historic parks and gardens.

The government is committed to reviewing the existing statutory consultee arrangements to ensure they align with the government’s ambitions for growth.

As per the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510), we intend to consult on removing a limited number of statutory consultees, including the Gardens Trust.

We also intend to review the range and type of planning applications on which statutory consultees are required to be consulted and consider whether some types of application could be removed, or addressed by alternative means of engagement and provision of expert advice.

Further details will be set out in due course.