Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Local Planning Authorities: Land for Employment and Industrial Use

Monday 20 February 2023 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • National planning policy directs local plans and decisions to support business investment, expansion, and job creation.
  • The department is consulting on improvements to the national planning policy framework to better support employment and industrial land use.
  • Government initiatives aim to make local planning easier and more effective, prioritizing areas like Rugby to foster economic growth and job creation.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mark Pawsey Con
Employment Business & Trade Local Government
Context

No specific incident or statistic mentioned, but it concerns national policy and local planning authority actions.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support the provision of land for employment and industrial use by local planning authorities?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

National planning policy makes it clear that local plans and decisions should help businesses invest, expand, and create jobs. The department is consulting on how the national planning policy framework could better support these developments, welcoming contributions to this consultation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific support or incentives for Rugby Borough Council or other local authorities seeking to do the right thing and enable business growth.

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Q2 Mark Pawsey Con
Economy Employment Local Government
Context

Rugby Borough Council has agreed to review its local plan, emphasizing the provision of more land for employment. The question seeks further support and incentives from the Department.

Question

In my constituency, Rugby Borough Council recently agreed to review its local plan emphasising the provision of more land for employment to help levelling up and to create jobs and opportunities. What further support and incentives can the Department give local authorities such as Rugby which are seeking to do the right thing and enable our businesses to grow?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

We welcome ambitious local authorities such as Rugby promoting development that helps level up the area. We are creating a new framework to make local plans easier to produce, giving more weight in decision-making so we can create certainty and foster a genuinely plan-led system.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not specify what further support or incentives will be given to Rugby Borough Council or other similar local authorities.

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Q3 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Economy Employment Local Government
Context

External partners of local authorities determine the future economic strategy for locations like York, and there is concern about whether this benefits local communities or only investors' interests.

Question

When land is available for urban development, external partners often determine the future economic strategy. How is the Department ensuring that there is a focus on a levelling-up agenda that benefits local communities, as opposed to a trickle-down agenda that benefits only the investors' interests?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

The Government are committed to levelling up areas throughout the country, including York. We deliver significant investment funds through Homes England to enable York and other partners to drive economic growth and level up the country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not address how the department ensures a levelling-up agenda that benefits local communities specifically, rather than just investors' interests.

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