Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has undertaken any assessment of whether rules on fast food outlets in the National Planning Policy Framework are being applied by local planning authorities in respect of applications to open new branches of (a) Pret a Manger, (b) Subway, (c) Greggs, or (d) fish and chip shops.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 122204 on 1 April 2026.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has issued on whether the sub-division of open or agricultural land requires planning permission.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no current plans to publish planning practice guidance specifically on the sub-division of agricultural units.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the supply of transitional accommodation for young people.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation can be found on gov.uk here. As part of this, we sought views on whether the planning system provides appropriate flexibility to support temporary accommodation affordable housing products, such as stepping stone housing, when considering matters such as space standards. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
I also refer the noble Baroness to the answer provided to Question UIN 1861 in the other place on 27 May 2026.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish up-to-date Housing Delivery Test results for local planning authorities in England; and what are the reasons for the ongoing delay in their publication.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Following delays to the publication of the 2023 Housing Delivery Test (HDT) results under the previous government, this government is committed to re-establishing a regular publication cycle. We therefore combined the data collections for the 2024 and 2025 HDTs and intend to publish both sets of results as soon as possible.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that environmental assessments are undertaken at an early stage in the planning process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Environmental assessments are an iterative process undertaken throughout the planning process.
The initial screening process determines whether an Environmental Impact Assessment is required to ensure that decision-makers can take account of any likely significant effects on the environment.
This process runs alongside assessment under the Habitats Regulations which ensures potential impacts on protected sites are considered at an early stage, with competent authorities required to ascertain that plans or projects will not adversely affect the integrity of those sites before permission can be granted.
As the government progresses with developing Environmental Outcomes Reports, we will ensure the value and rigour of environmental assessment is retained, while securing better environmental outcomes.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is considering requiring developers to assess the impact of redevelopment proposals on telecommunications infrastructure and mobile connectivity as part of the planning process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 124803 on 20 April 2026.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to local planning authorities on maintaining mobile connectivity where redevelopment affects existing telecommunications infrastructure.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 124803 on 20 April 2026.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of planning guidance in accounting for the potential presence of undocumented military remains where local authority records are known to be incomplete.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has made no specific assessment of the adequacy of planning guidance in accounting for the potential presence of undocumented military remains where local authority records are known to be incomplete.
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities (LPAs) should require developers to undertake appropriate assessments where a development site includes, or has the potential to include, heritage assets with archaeological interest.
LPAs should also maintain, or have access to, a historic environment record containing up-to-date evidence about the historic environment in their area. This should be used to predict the likelihood that currently unidentified heritage assets, particularly sites of historic and archaeological interest, will be discovered in the future.
Asked by: Michelle Welsh (Labour - Sherwood Forest)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to amend Part 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 to ensure that ecology surveys have to be completed on land prior to any temporary permitted development.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has no such plans.
The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release Red tape slashed to revamp high streets with new cafes and bars of 26 July 2025, what steps he is taking to create hospitality zones.
Answered by Nesil Caliskan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government notes that creating designated night-time economy and hospitality zones can deliver wide-ranging benefits that benefit businesses including through use of licensing and planning measures. We are working with other government departments to explore these measures and how we can encourage more local authorities to adopt this approach.