Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Planning Rules

Monday 25 October 2021 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The response to last year's consultation on the planning White Paper generated significant interest, and the Secretary of State is considering all responses before announcing next steps.
  • The Secretary of State understands the unique challenges faced by the Gosport peninsula in meeting housing needs while respecting the environment.
  • Community groups like the Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston neighbourhood plan group play a crucial role in involving local communities in sensitive planning decisions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Johnston
Context

The MP seeks details on the steps taken towards planning rule changes in response to last year's consultation.

Question

What steps he is taking to reform planning rules. The response to last year's consultation on the planning White Paper generated significant interest and I am considering all those responses, when will the next steps be announced?

Answer from Michael Gove

The response to last year's consultation on the planning White Paper generated significant interest. I am considering all those responses and will make an announcement on next steps in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline or concrete actions for reforming planning rules were not provided

How: Will Make An Announcement On Next Steps In Due Course

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Q2 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
Housing Environment
Context

The MP references the Gosport peninsula's geographical constraints affecting local housing requirements.

Question

I welcome the Secretary of State to his role. The Gosport peninsula is more than 80% built on, with a further 12% as conservation area, making it difficult to meet unrealistic housing numbers without harming green areas and ignoring strategic gaps. Will he please give me hope that they will not impose outdated housing targets?

Answer from Michael Gove

I completely understand the unique issues faced by my hon. Friend's constituents. The unique geography of the peninsula and the communities she represents poses particular challenges when it comes not just to meeting local housing need, but to respecting the environment and, indeed, the nature of the communities and their special cherishable character.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitments about imposing outdated targets were not addressed

How: Understanding Unique Issues Faced By Constituents

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Q3 Julie Marson
Housing Local Government
Context

The MP discusses the Harlow and Gilston garden town development, a large-scale green-belt land release for housing.

Question

The Harlow and Gilston garden town development is one of the largest releases of green-belt land for housing. Magnificent community groups such as the Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston neighbourhood plan group face significant challenges to get their voices heard. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we need to listen to and trust local people? Will he meet me to discuss this project?

Answer from Michael Gove

My hon. Friend makes a very important point. It is thanks to the work of organisations such as the Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston neighbourhood plan group that we involve local communities in making these uniquely sensitive decisions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment about meeting with MP was not given

How: Thanks To Work Of Such Organisations

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Q4 David Johnston
Housing Transport
Context

The MP points out that the two district councils in Wantage and Didcot are in the top 10 for houses built but bottom third for infrastructure, leading to public dissatisfaction.

Question

The two district councils have some of the highest rates of housing construction but rank among lowest for infrastructure development. People would be less unhappy with house building if it came with more GP surgeries, reopening of Grove station and better roads. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that as he reforms planning there will be a greater emphasis on improving infrastructure to support new populations?

Answer from Michael Gove

My hon. Friend makes a very important point. Across the country, many people would welcome new housing development enthusiastically if they had the assurance of knowing that there was sufficient investment in infrastructure to ensure that public services and other utilities were there for them so that additional pressure was not applied unequally.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitments about emphasizing infrastructure alongside house building were not provided

How: Many People Would Welcome New Housing Development Enthusiastically If They Had The Assurance Of Knowing

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Q5 Clive Betts Lab Sheffield South East
Context

The MP welcomes the Secretary of State to his new role and suggests local plans should be central in a plan-led system, simplifying them for better public understanding.

Question

I welcome the Secretary of State to his new role. I do not know whether he has had the chance to read yet the Select Committee's review of the planning reforms. May I suggest that local plans need to be at the heart of a plan-led system, indicating where development is likely to happen?

Answer from Michael Gove

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman who is a very distinguished Select Committee Chair. At the danger of establishing a treacly consensus right from the very beginning, may I say that I entirely agreed with the first part of his question?

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific agreement or disagreement on incorporating local plans was not clear

How: Very Distinguished Select Committee Chair

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Q6 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Local Government
Context

The MP welcomes the Secretary of State to his role and notes York's popularity but warns against embedding inequality through poor planning governance.

Question

Today, York has been voted Britain's most popular city. However, if we get planning wrong, we will embed inequality into our city. The governance structures over projects such as York Central are currently in the wrong place so they will not deliver for the people of my constituency. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss York Central?

Answer from Michael Gove

I would be delighted to meet the hon. Lady. It is important to recognise that we want to work with York to ensure that there is a local plan in place, but it is also the case, as she knows, that this Government are investing in York, deploying more resource and bringing more civil servants to the beautiful city that she represents.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific meeting commitment was not given

How: Delighted To Meet The Hon. Lady

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Q7 Ruth Cadbury Lab Brentford and Isleworth
Context

The MP welcomes the Secretary of State's role and discusses his previous stance on planning reforms which were unpopular.

Question

I welcome the new Secretary of State to his role. I also welcome his replies to hon. Members, as he said that effectively the Government's developers charter is being reviewed. Will the Secretary of State therefore take this opportunity to confirm that the Government's wholly unpopular and disastrous planning reforms will never return?

Answer from Michael Gove

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for taking me back to the halcyon days of 2016; it was not so much a torpedo being launched as an unexploded bomb going off in my own hands. As the former Member for Kensington and Chelsea, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, pointed out, one of the things about committing political suicide is that you always live to regret it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Confirmation regarding reintroducing reforms was not given

How: Halcyon Days Of 2016

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