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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Canterbury urban extension on air pollution levels; and what affect the categorisation of Canterbury as an air quality management area has had on their decision on whether to call-in the planning application of the Canterbury urban extension.

In December 2016, the Secretary of State declined to call in this application for his own determination. Following the categorisation of Canterbury as an air quality management area, he received requests to reconsider that decision. These requests were carefully considered having regard to his policy on calling in planning applications. The Secretary of State decided that his original decision, not to call in this application, should stand, and that the application should remain to be determined by the local planning authority.