Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

National Planning Policy Framework: Consultation

Monday 27 March 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 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Sites in Chiswell Green and Colney Heath are under threat due to government housing targets.
  • The government aims to encourage a plan-led system and stop speculative developments through changes to the NPPF.
  • The revised NPPF will prioritize brownfield development and urban regeneration.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Daisy Cooper Lib Dem St Albans
Housing Environment
Context

The consultation on proposals for the national planning policy framework closed on March 2, and there is concern about sites in Chiswell Green and Colney Heath being under threat from government housing targets.

Question

Sites in Chiswell Green and Colney Heath in my constituency are under threat. The Government's top-down housing targets do not tackle overcrowding or lack of affordable homes but destroy the green belt. In 2015, Ministers said these targets could not constitute a very special circumstance for allowing green-belt destruction, but this was not incorporated into the national planning policy framework. When will those changes be made to stop speculative applications if they go to appeal?

Answer from Michael Gove

We are considering all comments received during the consultation. We aim to encourage a plan-led system and our changes to the NPPF should stop speculative developments wherever possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific timeline for implementing changes was not provided.

How: We Are Considering All Comments Received During The Consultation.

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Q2 Daisy Cooper Lib Dem St Albans
Housing Environment
Context

The questioner criticizes government housing targets for threatening green belt sites while failing to address overcrowding or affordable homes. There is also a 2015 statement about very special circumstances not being met.

Question

Government's top-down housing targets threaten the green belt, do nothing to tackle overcrowding or lack of affordable homes. In 2015, Ministers said these targets could not constitute a very special circumstance for allowing green-belt destruction but were not incorporated into the national planning policy framework. Can changes be made in time to prevent speculative applications going to appeal?

Answer from Michael Gove

We want to stop speculative developments where possible, encouraging a plan-led system. Changes to the NPPF should achieve this. However, the Liberal Democrats' hypocrisy on planning and housing is noted.

Not addressed: The specific timeline for implementing changes was not provided, and the answerer criticized the opposition instead of addressing the question.

How: They Say Nationally That They Want More Than 300,000 Homes Everywhere But Then Oppose Individual Planning Applications.

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Q3 Gagan Mohindra Con South West Hertfordshire
Housing
Context

Concern about the brownfield-first principle being maintained when revising the national planning policy framework.

Question

Can you assure me that when we come back with the NPPF revisions, there is very much a brownfield-first thread throughout the guidance and rules?

Answer from Michael Gove

Absolutely. Our aim is to promote brownfield first housing delivery and urban regeneration. The new NPPF will give both communities control and developers certainty.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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