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 3 November (HL Deb col 1768), what issues the review of the existing protections of open spaces will examine; and whether there will be a public consultation before changes are proposed to those protections.

Open and green spaces are an essential part of local social infrastructure and must be protected for future generations. The review of existing protections will examine the fragmented and outdated nature of current legislative protections for public recreational green spaces, assess how these protections complement those in the planning system, and consider the lack of central records on protected land.

We intend to analyse the effectiveness and usability of existing protections, to simplify the system, ensure consistency for developers and local authorities and empower communities to protect valued spaces.

We intend to engage widely to ensure stakeholder views are considered before recommending any changes are made to these protections.

Further details about the review will be released in due course.