Found: Alongside rising costs and complexity, the business voice is being lost as housing, green belt and

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 19 December 2023, what his Department's policy is on whether local authorities who are in the process of developing a local plan (a) can and (b) should exclude some sites identified for housing development which are in the green belt.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Further to the published information set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, transitional arrangements are set out in Annex 1 to the Framework. Government will consider whether updates are needed to planning practice guidance in due course. I refer the Hon Member to the written statement of 19 December 2023 (HCWS161).

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department’s policy is on the building of (a) Traveller sites and (b) other forms of housing on greenfield land.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites sets out that local planning authorities should limit very strictly new traveller site development in open countryside away from existing settlements or outside areas allocated in the development plan. Local Planning Authorities should ensure that sites in rural areas respect the scale of, and do not dominate, the nearest settled community, and avoid placing undue pressure on local infrastructure.

Regarding other forms of housing, the National Planning Policy Framework states that planning policies and decisions should avoid the development of isolated homes in the countryside unless certain circumstances apply, such as an essential need for a rural worker, or design of exceptional quality. To promote sustainable development in rural areas, housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 6 December 2022, HCWS415, on Update on the Levelling Up Bill, what guidance his Department issues on whether the Planning Inspectorate can give substantial weight to that Statement when examining appeals of a refusal of permission for a development on green belt land in instances where there is not a currently adopted local plan and when housing need as calculated by the currently calculated housing targets cannot be demonstrably satisfied.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Due to the Secretary of State's role in the planning system, I cannot discuss the details of an individual Local Plan or comment on the acceptability or otherwise of individual sites. Nor can I comment on specific planning applications.

The proposals set out in the Written Ministerial Statement are now subject to public consultation, and are not at this time government policy. Any final policy changes will be confirmed once the National Planning Policy Framework is updated.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the Government's policy is on the calculation of new housing targets in local authorities which are predominately made up of Green Belt land.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Existing Government policy is to help make home ownership affordable for more people and to help more people rent their own home. To do that, we will need to deliver more homes. The standard method for assessing local housing need is used by councils to inform the preparation of their local plans and, as part of the local plan process, Councils are responsible for determining the best approach to development in their areas, including taking into consideration important matters such as Green Belt.

The previous Government undertook a review of the standard method formula in 2020 and, after carefully considering consultation responses, they retained the existing formula providing stability and certainty for planning and for local communities. As with all policies, we are monitoring the standard method, particularly as the impact of changes to the way we live and work and levelling up become clear.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of residential developments taking place on green belt land.

Answered by Christopher Pincher

This Government has a manifesto commitment to protect and enhance the Green Belt. Our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that a local authority can take development land out of Green Belt only in exceptional circumstances, through the local plan process, and only if it can demonstrate that it has explored all other reasonable options.

To reduce pressures on Green Belt land, the Government is investing significant amounts in re-using and regenerating brownfield sites. We have set up the £4.35 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund; the £4.95 billion Home Building Fund; the £400 million Brownfield Housing Fund; and the £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund. At Autumn Budget 2021 the Chancellor announced a further £300 million of grant funding for Mayoral Combined Authorities and local authorities to unlock smaller brownfield sites.

Found: policy 10 Commons Library Debate Pack , 23 Janua ry 2023 HC Deb 24 October 2022 | PQ 63261 Housing