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: 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, 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: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
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 proportion of residential planning permissions granted in England in each of the last five years that have not resulted in development commencing within two years of permission being granted.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 122315 on 1 April 2026.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his Department’s policy to take steps to strengthen planning regulations so that local authorities must take greater consideration of local architectural characteristics.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Exemplary development should be the norm not the exception so that more communities feel the benefits of new development and welcome it.
As we act to boost housing supply, we are also taking steps to improve the design and quality of the homes and neighbourhoods being built.
On 21 January 2026, we published new consolidated draft Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) for consultation which can be found on gov.uk here.
The draft PPG encourages local planning authorities to embed clear design visions in local plans and to use tools such as design codes, masterplans, and local guidance to respond to the distinct context of their areas, including architectural character.
The consultation closed on 12 March 2026. We are currently analysing feedback and will set out next steps in due course.
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 collates statistics on planning enforcement appeals in relation to traveller sites.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning Inspectorate collects data on planning enforcement appeals, including those relating to traveller sites. This information is publicly available on the Planning Inspectorate Casework Database on gov.uk here. This data is not routinely identified or reported separately by enforcement case type.
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 collates statistics on retrospective planning applications.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not collect data specifically relating to the number of retrospective planning applications
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department last reviewed the list of statutory consultees; and when the Department next plans to review it.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 18 November 2025, the government launched a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system, which sought views on the scope of what statutory consultees advise on, and removing statutory consultee status from certain bodies.
The consultation, which closed on 13 January 2026, is available on gov.uk here.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will issue planning practice guidance on the weight to be given to Home Office protective security assessments when determining planning applications.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that planning decisions should promote public safety and take into account wider security and defence requirements by anticipating and addressing possible malicious threats and other hazards. This would include any HMG led development.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to public safety and security. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.