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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the removal of Government funding for neighbourhood plans does not reduce community input into planning decisions in West Dorset.

Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.

Two neighbourhood planning groups in West Dorset are in receipt of technical support which has already been awarded but must be completed by March 2026.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.

Parish and Town Councils have access to their own resources which they can choose to use for neighbourhood planning if they wish.