← Back to Westminster Hall Debates
Local Transport: Planning Developments — [Sir Desmond Swayne in the Chair]
24 February 2026
Lead MP
Victoria Collins
Harpenden and Berkhamsted
Lib Dem
Responding Minister
Simon Lightwood
Tags
TransportLocal Government
Word Count: 14189
Other Contributors: 19
At a Glance
Victoria Collins raised concerns about local transport: planning developments — [sir desmond swayne in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Victoria Collins calls for an infrastructure-first approach to planning. She asks the Government to empower communities to take a cumulative view of infrastructure impacts, address train capacity and service issues, provide funding for backup systems on the Thameslink line, and work with rail operators to prepare for growing pressures.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The local people of Harpenden, Berkhamsted, Tring, Redbourn, Sandridge and surrounding villages are concerned about top-down national planning that does not serve local housing needs. Victoria Collins highlights the failure to deliver adequate transport infrastructure, with roads bursting at seams due to unplanned development and insufficient funding for road improvements. She mentions specific developments like Marshcroft east of Tring with 1,400 homes and a potential increase in population by 40%. The concern is that these areas are historically significant and lack the infrastructure to support such large-scale housing projects, leading to issues like overcrowded buses and cancelled trains on Thameslink and London Northwestern services.
Al Pinkerton
Lib Dem
Surrey Heath
Discusses speculative developments in Surrey Heath and the potential relocation of Frimley Park hospital, noting that no budget has been set aside for new infrastructure despite assurances from government bodies.
Amanda Hack
Lab
North West Leicestershire
Ms Hack highlighted the challenges in her constituency of North West Leicestershire, where public transport has been severely cut by 62% over 14 years. She emphasised that planning for change and growth is crucial but stressed that current efforts are piecemeal rather than cohesive. The lack of buses leads to a disconnect between new housing developments and town centres, undermining the potential for growth in both areas. Amanda Hack highlighted her frustration regarding Leicestershire's position in holding on to 106 money and emphasised the need for a conversation about spending this money quickly.
Andrew Bowie
Con
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
The need for better connectivity between small towns and villages was emphasised, noting that current transport plans do not adequately address the needs of these areas.
Bob Stewart
Ind
Beckenham
I have received numerous complaints from constituents about delays in public transport services during peak hours, which is impacting their daily lives significantly.
Chris Hinchliff
Lab
North East Hertfordshire
Chris Hinchliff argued that the rapid expansion of housing stock from 2013 to 2023 did not address the needs of young people due to inadequate public transport and local employment opportunities. He highlighted the negative impact of developer-led planning on communities, emphasising the need for sustainable development that prioritises well-planned and cohesive communities over car dependency.
Chris Philp
Con
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
I am concerned about the lack of infrastructure investment in rural areas, highlighting that the local community is struggling with poor road conditions and inadequate public transport.
Redditch
Christopher Bloore acknowledged the need for affordable housing but stressed that the perfect should not be the enemy of the good. He argued that politicians must be brave and push forward with developments to meet the needs of young people, who have waited years for promises to materialise.
Edward Morello
Lib Dem
West Dorset
Edward Morello emphasised the need for housing growth and rail capacity to be planned together, highlighting that new developments must come with guaranteed improvements to local transport. He noted a 62% decrease in bus service frequency from 2010 and pointed out Dorset received £3.8 million through the bus services improvement plan compared to Devon's £11.6 million. Morello also called for secure grant funding for community-led services and multi-year funding to address years of underfunding.
Freddie Van Mierlo
Lib Dem
Henley and Thame
Supports the hon. Member's concerns about developers using lawyers repeatedly to challenge planning decisions, which is frustrating for local communities. In Chalgrove, speculative ribbon development extending beyond infrastructure capacity poses a risk. The village lacks mass transit systems, making it car-dependent with 3,500 new homes planned requiring extensive road building. Elsewhere in the constituency, bypasses are needed for developments, exemplified by Watlington's relief road where communities embracing development face infrastructure delays.
Helen Maguire
Lib Dem
Epsom and Ewell
She raised concerns about the high accommodation costs in her constituency, noting that residents of new developments often face significant delays in accessing essential services like bus routes and schools.
Jerome Mayhew
Con
Broadland and Fakenham
Mr Mayhew highlighted the importance of balancing local infrastructure development with population growth. He criticised the Government for imposing housing targets without considering transport impacts, citing examples such as Dorset's A303 road improvements being cancelled despite high demand. He also mentioned that over-regulation often hampers crucial infrastructure projects like the Norwich western link road, leaving residents and businesses disappointed.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Commends the hon. Lady for bringing up local transport issues, highlighting problems in Northern Ireland where new developments rely on private cars due to lack of public transport infrastructure.
Julia Buckley
Lab
Shrewsbury
Ms Buckley highlighted the loss of over 65% of local buses in Shropshire and argued for the importance of existing transport infrastructure when planning new housing developments. She emphasised the potential benefits of developing hyper-connected housing close to stations, which could revitalise town centres and reduce car journeys while boosting rail operators' passenger numbers.
Peter Bedford
Con
Mid Leicestershire
Mr Bedford highlighted the disconnect between theoretical connectivity on paper and the daily challenges faced by constituents in Mid Leicestershire, citing examples of traffic delays and cancelled bus services due to development. He questioned whether section 106 money is being used as intended and called for a re-evaluation of its allocation. Additionally, he advocated for a reconsideration of planning permissions that affect multiple local authorities and suggested the need for better intercity connectivity. Peter Bedford intervened to suggest that utility companies should be statutory consultees in the planning process, noting their frustration with being asked to provide infrastructure without proper consultation.
Rebecca Paul
Con
Reigate
She expressed concern over the lack of investment in local public transport to support new housing developments, particularly around Kingswood station and Reigate station. She highlighted that development without adequate infrastructure can lead to issues such as school catchment problems, GP access difficulties, and increased flooding. Rebecca also questioned the Government's plans for Gatwick expansion and its impact on rail services at Reigate and Redhill stations, calling for reconsideration of a Network Rail scheme from 2020. She raised concerns about Earlswood station's accessibility issues during heavy rain. She pointed out that reducing housing development in London leads to an influx of people moving into other constituencies, questioning whether this approach truly achieves the aim of keeping families close together.
Richard Foord
Lib Dem
Honiton and Sidmouth
The West of England rail line is one of the most under-invested lines in England, operating at an 88% capacity during dry weather periods. The service has slowed down to one train every two hours with passengers waiting up to four hours for trains. With over 1,100 houses being built annually and a new town called Marlcombe planned for the 2030s with 10,000 houses, there are concerns about the adequacy of rail infrastructure for housing developments.
Roz Savage
Lib Dem
South Cotswolds
Ms Savage expressed concern about the lack of infrastructure planning for new housing developments in her constituency, highlighting that doubling the number of homes without improving roads, buses, rail capacity, flood protection, and sewerage would lead to significant issues. She noted that Siddington is expected to absorb up to 1,100 additional homes with no credible transport plan, which she described as infrastructure playing catch-up rather than leading growth.
Sarah Gibson
Lib Dem
Chippenham
Highlights issues with rural development outside towns in her constituency where public transport is inadequate and calls for the NPPF to allocate funding for transport planning at the outset.
Steffan Aquarone
Lib Dem
North Norfolk
He argued for a more integrated approach to transport and planning, highlighting the current silos within government that prevent effective decision-making. He proposed devolution of transport powers to local areas to better serve constituents' needs and emphasised the need for a holistic strategy for infrastructure development.
Government Response
Simon Lightwood
Government Response
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, as always, Sir Desmond. I thank the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted (Victoria Collins) for securing this debate and thank Members for all their comments and contributions. Aligning housing and transport is essential for delivering homes that are connected and sustainable and provide genuine choices for people. The Government have prioritised changes to the planning system through the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, which includes providing tools local authorities need to ensure developments are supported by the right transport infrastructure for their context. They are also consulting on revisions to the national planning policy framework aimed at delivering better located development with more sustainable travel choices and robust guidance. The connectivity tool launched last year helps identify infrastructure gaps and plan development sustainably, while the Railways Bill will establish Great British Railways as a directing mind facilitating homebuilding and place-making. Platform4 is working to develop disused brownfield land with an ambition to deliver 40,000 homes over the coming decade. The Government are operationalising a new approach to transport planning through changes to the national planning policy framework to better manage cumulative impacts of developments. National Highways is empowered to recommend refusal of planning applications that would cause substantial impact on the road network and will assess the impact of new developments on the strategic road network, including issuing holding responses or providing conditions for mitigating the impact of development. The Department requires all operators to plan future timetables reflecting expected demand and providing value for money for the taxpayer. For bus funding, £3 billion of multi-year funding is going to support bus services across the country, with Hertfordshire county council allocated £34.1 million under the local authority bus grant from 2026-27 to 2028-29 in addition to the £12.2 million already allocated.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.