Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance is available to local authorities on assessing the social value of community facilities 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 to provide the social, recreational and cultural facilities and services the community needs, planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities (such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, open space, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship) and other local services to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments.
The NPPF is also clear that local planning policies and decisions should guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities and services.
The government is currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF to provide for clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. This includes policies relating to community facilities. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of their consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system, what plans they have to alter Sport England's role as a statutory consultee for developments on playing fields; and what assessment they have made of the impact this may have on schools and sport clubs.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is currently consulting on proposed changes to Sport England’s statutory consultee role in the planning regime and I encourage anyone interested to feed into that process. The aim of this consultation is not to reduce access to sports facilities. We will continue to work closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the proposed reforms.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered increasing funding for planning enforcement.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Questions UIN 91162 on 21 November 2025.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will conduct a review of local planning and healthcare infrastructure for villages and local hub–type plans, including PFI estates.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Planning regulation and approval is a matter for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The National Health Service operates in accordance with published planning guidance.
However, we recognise delivering high-quality NHS healthcare services requires the right infrastructure in the right places. Integrated care boards have developed infrastructure strategies to create a long-term plan for future healthcare estate requirements and investment for each local area and its needs.
These strategies help take the existing and future general practice and primary care estate into account when considering how best to deliver local services, including the development of a Neighbourhood Health Service.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 has taken to speed up the planning and appeals process in local authorities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning and Infrastructure Act will streamline planning processes, improve certainty for applicants, and unlock and accelerate more housing and infrastructure delivery.
Its provisions include powers that allow the Secretary of State to delegate planning fee-setting to local planning authorities, enabling them to recover costs and reinvest to provide a more efficient and responsive planning service, including in respect of making timelier decisions.
At the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.
At the Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced a further £48 million of investment over three years to support local planning authorities to attract, retain and develop skilled planners over a sustained period.
Of this, £28.8 million has been allocated to MHCLG’s Planning Capacity and Capability Programme, equating to £9.6 million additional per year for the next three years. This allocation will supplement existing budgets.
In total, the Programme now aims to deliver around 1,325 planners by the end of this Parliament, significantly exceeding our original manifesto commitment to deliver 300 new planning officers. Wider cross-government recruitment and investment in planning capacity and capability will increase this figure further to approximately 1,400 planners.
The new funding will support both graduate and mid-career entry routes into planning, including by means of expanding the Pathways to Planning Graduate Scheme and establishing a Planning Careers Hub.
In respect of planning appeals, the Planning Inspectorate's Strategic Plan commits to removing all casework backlogs and meeting all Ministerial targets, including those relating to planning appeals, by 2027.
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 answer of 15 September 202, to Question HL10015, Planning Permission, and with reference to paragraph 3.25 of the Budget 2025, HC1492, 26 November 2025, in what financial years the funding for the 350 planning officers will be allocated; and whether previous funding for planning officers was for one year only.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
At the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.
At the Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced a further £48 million of investment over three years to support local planning authorities to attract, retain and develop skilled planners over a sustained period.
Of this, £28.8 million has been allocated to MHCLG’s Planning Capacity and Capability Programme, equating to £9.6 million additional per year for the next three years. This allocation will supplement existing budgets.
In total, the Programme now aims to deliver around 1,325 planners by the end of this Parliament, significantly exceeding our original manifesto commitment to deliver 300 new planning officers. Wider cross-government recruitment and investment in planning capacity and capability will increase this figure further to approximately 1,400 planners.
The new funding will support both graduate and mid-career entry routes into planning, including by means of expanding the Pathways to Planning Graduate Scheme and establishing a Planning Careers Hub.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered making planning enforcement a statutory obligation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Questions UIN 91162 on 21 November 2025.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 how planning reforms will affect public consultation and community engagement in planning decisions in the West Midlands.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local planning authorities are required to undertake a formal period of public consultation, prior to deciding a planning application. The proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that the government is currently consulting on will not affect this requirement.
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 written statement of 18 November 2025, HCWS1062, on Next phase of planning reform, what the geographical distance is around a train station that the policy would apply to; and whether the definition includes (a) Trams, (b) light-rail, (c) Metros and (d) the London Underground.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
The consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, sets out how different proposed policies would apply to land around stations, including those that are defined as well-connected and those that are within and outside of settlements.
The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 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, with reference to the written statement of 18 November 2025, HCWS1062, on Next phase of planning reform, whether the land near train stations would (a) have Green Belt disapplied, (b) be treated as Grey Belt and (c) be treated as brownfield land in the Green Belt.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
The consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, sets out how different proposed policies would apply to land around stations, including those that are defined as well-connected and those that are within and outside of settlements.
The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.