Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 ability of vulnerable groups to access planning consultations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under the Equality Act 2010, all public bodies have a Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) to have due regard to certain equality considerations when exercising their functions, this includes public engagements such as planning consultations.
Planning consultations are carried out through a range of methods and local planning authorities are required to publish these on their website. Public authorities must make their website accessible and publish and keep updated an accessibility statement on their website.
The duty should always be applied in a proportionate way depending on the circumstances of the case and the seriousness of the potential equality impact.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria will be used to assess whether a train station is well-connected for the purposes of a planning application receiving a default yes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 102319 on 12 January 2026.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how distances from train stations are calculated for the purposes of a planning application receiving a default yes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 102319 on 12 January 2026.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, what estimate his Department has made of the number of applications refused by councillors in England in each year since 2020.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not collect data on rates of refusal for planning applications made at planning committees.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications which re-designate green belt as grey belt land there have been since December 2024; and how many of those applications were approved for each English region.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
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 list each planning application that has been called in since 4 July 2024, including (a) planning reference number, (b) local authority, (c) the proposed development, and the result of each decision to date.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Since 4 July 2024, the Secretary of State has called in the following planning applications:
Cases called in 04/07/24 to 14/01/26
Location | LPA | LPA Ref | Call in Date | Development Description | Outcome |
Northfleet Harbourside, land surrounding Ebbsfleet Football Club, Northfleet, Kent | Gravesham Borough Council | 20221064 | 07/02/25 | Mixed-use redevelopment including new homes, commercial space and supporting infrastructure. | Inquiry closed Nov 25 – Inspector’s Report awaited |
Heath Business & Technical Park & land north of Heath Rd, Runcorn, Cheshire | Halton Borough Council | 22/00569/OUT | 19/09/25 | Mixed-use scheme including up to 545 homes and supporting community and employment facilities. | With MHCLG – target date for decision 13 Mar 2026 |
Land south of Frome Somerset | Somerset Council | 2021/1675/EOUT | 03/02/25 | Up to 1,700 homes with a local centre, employment land, greenspace and associated infrastructure. | Inquiry closed Sept 25 – Inspector's report awaited |
Land south of Sittingbourne, Kent | Swale Borough Council | 21/503914/EIOUT | 07/11/24 | Major mixed‑use development including up to 7,150 homes, employment space, schools, community facilities and major highways works. | Inquiry closed Oct 25 – Inspector's report awaited |
Beehive Centre, Coldhams Lane, Cambridge | Cambridge City Council | 23/03204/OUT | 11/02/25 | Redevelopment of the site to provide a new local centre, employment floorspace, open space and associated infrastructure | Planning permission Granted 9 Dec 25 |
Royal Mint Court, London | London Borough Tower Hamlets | PA/24/01229/A1 | 14/10/24 | Redevelopment of the site to provide a new embassy, including works to listed buildings, public realm improvements and associated infrastructure. . | Decision issued on 20 Jan 26 |
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the evidential basis is for the proposed 0.2-hectare exemption from mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently announced its intention to introduce a new 0.2 ha area exemption to ease burdens on small developers and local authorities whilst maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response is coming shortly, along with an evidence assessment. A full Impact Assessment will follow later in the year.
An implementation timeline will also be published along with the consultation response, setting out when changes will take effect. Until this is confirmed, the current BNG requirement remains in place and developers and local authorities should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of removing Sport England as a statutory consultee in planning decisions involving playing fields on youth participation in sport.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103087 on 13 January 2026.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to provide certainty for people with (a) proposals currently in the planning process and (b) planning permission already granted where Biodiversity Net Gain requirements apply.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently announced its intention to introduce a new 0.2 ha area exemption to ease burdens on small developers and local authorities whilst maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response is coming shortly, along with an evidence assessment. A full Impact Assessment will follow later in the year.
An implementation timeline will also be published along with the consultation response, setting out when changes will take effect. Until this is confirmed, the current BNG requirement remains in place and developers and local authorities should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that the proposed changes to Biodiversity Net Gain requirements do not delay the development of planning applications.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently announced its intention to introduce a new 0.2 ha area exemption to ease burdens on small developers and local authorities whilst maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response is coming shortly, along with an evidence assessment. A full Impact Assessment will follow later in the year.
An implementation timeline will also be published along with the consultation response, setting out when changes will take effect. Until this is confirmed, the current BNG requirement remains in place and developers and local authorities should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.