Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Planning System: Community Involvement

Monday 14 July 2025 · 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

  • Harriet Cross raised concerns about the importance of listening to local residents in major planning decisions, citing examples from New Deer, Kintore, and Rothienorman.
  • Sarah Bool mentioned a case in Towcester where residents strongly objected to a DHL development, with local councillors voting against it.
  • Jonathan Brash highlighted the removal of planning powers from democratic control in Hartlepool by the Tees Valley Mayor's development corporation and the outsourcing of planning functions to a private company.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Harriet Cross Con Gordon and Buchan
Community Security Environment
Context

The question stems from concerns about energy infrastructure projects, particularly in Scotland. The MP has tabled an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill proposing a statutory duty of consultation for infrastructure in Scotland.

Question

I am sure the Minister agrees it is vital that local residents’ concerns are properly listened to, especially on major planning decisions. Having listened to many constituents in places such as New Deer, Kintore and Rothienorman who are facing huge amounts of energy infrastructure, I tabled an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that would have created a statutory duty of consultation for infrastructure in Scotland. In Committee, the Minister argued against it and said that the Scottish Government’s discretionary power was satisfactory. Will he please explain why the Government believe that a discretionary power, which my constituents fear will simply be ignored, provides meaningful engagement while the statutory right that I proposed would not?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

I can do no better than to draw the hon. Lady’s attention to the extensive remarks that I made in the Bill Committee.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a specific explanation of why discretionary powers are sufficient, instead referring back to previous committee discussions without elaborating further.

How: Redirecting To Earlier Statements

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Q2 Sarah Bool Con South Northamptonshire
Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

In Towcester, a DHL development was met with significant local opposition. Over 1,000 residents submitted objections and the strategic planning committee voted against it.

Question

In Towcester, when the DHL development was going through planning, more than 1,100 residents submitted objections to the council, thousands signed petitions, I spoke on their behalf as their MP against the plans and locally elected councillors voted 11 to one against it at the strategic planning committee meeting, but it was ultimately approved on appeal. Residents, naturally, are losing faith in engaging in the system. The Minister referred in a written question to there being a more democratic plan-led system taking in larger numbers of voices. In our case, how many more residents would need to be involved to have an impact?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

I think that the hon. Lady—if I followed her argument—was speaking about objections lodged to an individual planning application. We are making no changes to that process. Residents all over the country will still be able to object to any planning application that comes forward. We are making sensible changes to improve the certainty and speed at which planning decisions will be taken, with a two-tier approach —a consultation is live at the moment to which she can offer input—but when it comes to local plans, which are a slightly separate issue, we are looking to encourage greater participation upstream. Local plans are the best means by which local communities can shape the development coming forward in their area.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific numbers on how many residents need to be involved for their concerns to influence decisions, but instead referred to improvements in certainty and speed of planning decisions.

How: Changing Subject

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Q3 Jonathan Brash Lab Hartlepool
Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

The Tees Valley Mayor’s development corporation has removed planning powers from Hartlepool, with much of the function outsourced to a private company.

Question

In Hartlepool, the Tees Valley Mayor’s development corporation has removed planning powers for large swathes of the town from all democratic control. In turn, much of the planning function has been outsourced to a private company with no connection to Hartlepool, which is ruling out any community involvement. Will the Minister look at curbing the powers of development corporations so that planning remains in the hands of democratically elected politicians?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

I note my hon. Friend’s concerns in relation to the Tees Valley. In general, we are looking to streamline the powers given to development corporations—we took measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to allow them, for example, to shape transport in areas—but if he wants to write to me or Ministers to raise more of the specifics of that case, we would be more than happy to take a look.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address curbing powers but instead mentioned measures taken in the Bill and invited further communication on specific concerns.

How: Inviting Further Correspondence

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