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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 20 November (HL Deb col 930), whether they plan to make changes to planning practice guidance and the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure that water and sewerage companies and undertakings fully engage with local plans and spatial development strategies as statutory consultees at the strategic level, rather than at the individual site level.

Government will shortly be introducing a new plan-making system to support faster preparation of plans and more frequent updates. This new system will provide a more strategic approach for water and sewerage company engagement in plan-making. Government intends to prescribe water and sewerage companies in ‘Requirement to Assist’ regulations so they will be obliged to assist with plan-making, where a plan-making authority reasonably requests it. Government also intends to list water and sewerage companies as consultation bodies for the new plan-making system, so they will be made aware of key plan-making consultations where the plan-making authority considers that they have an interest. The Requirement to Assist will also apply to the preparation of spatial development strategies. The National Planning Policy Framework and relevant planning and guidance will reflect these law changes where appropriate.