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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if chalk streams will be added to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat.

As per the commitment I made in the House on 13 November during consideration of Lords Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government intend to include explicit recognition of chalk streams in the new suite of national policies for decision-making that we will consult on before the end of this year.

This will ensure that chalk streams are explicitly recognised as features of high environmental value in national planning policy and that clear expectations are set for plan-makers and decision-makers in respect of managing the impacts of development on these sensitive waterbodies.