Found: ADBA is advocating for an amendment to be made to the Governments Planning and Infrastructure Bill to

Found: welcome the measures that the government is taking forward to address this through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: clarifies that heat networks should be considered a key infrastructure lever, as in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: Government are rightly prioritising building new homes, and introducing new measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: The government is also legislating in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to establish a system of

Found: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Oral evidence: Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: the planning changes—this is just the NPPF planning changes from December, not the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act in 2023 and the proposed changes through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: This is one of the provisions of the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill that Britain Remade has called

Found: With what the Government are doing on the clean power mission, and their Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: Finally, I have a question about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, in relation to what Susan said

Found: statutory time limits  Press ahead with streamlining planning committees (as set out in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: We strongly support a return to strategic planning and await the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: bring forward further reforms to the compulsory purchase compensation regime via the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: Planning would be the classic example of that, which is why we are putting through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: In their Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the Government have decided to bring in mandatory planning

Found: It is why we are taking the Planning and Infrastructure Bill through Parliament.

Found: The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill is meant to speed up the process of building new

Found: Q92 Rachel Blake: Do you anticipate scoring the Planning and Infrastructure Bill?

Found: Regulatory reform, notably the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. 4.

Found: The forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill is a welcome opportunity to bring forward some of

Found: We urgently need to see reforms taken forward through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that enable

Found: We now need to see reforms taken forward through the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Found: resources would fall short of the required pace of change ● “We will bring forward a Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: Some of these may be addressed by the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill but we must wait

Found: economic impacts of mitigation: The Nature Restoration Fund is a proposal within the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: This could be added to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and devolved equivalents.

Found: are some good examples of that, and it really has to happen now if the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of granting electric vehicle charging infrastructure statutory rights.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In December 2024, the Government published the outcome of a consultation on a proposal to include chargepoint operators into the street works permitting regime, removing the requirement for a Section 50 licence. A clause to make this change has been included in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to support housebuilding in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million new homes in England in this Parliament.

We have already taken decisive steps to increase housing supply including publishing a revised National Planning Policy Framework and introducing a Planning and Infrastructure Bill that will streamline the delivery of new homes.

Our New Homes Accelerator will unblock and accelerate the delivery of housing developments that have for various reasons become delayed, or which are not progressing as quickly as they could be.

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

We also confirmed a range of new flexibilities for councils and housing associations, both within the Affordable Homes Programme and in relation to how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts. Having reduced Right to Buy discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels, we have allowed councils to retain 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales.

The government recognise that Registered Providers need support to build their capacity and make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply. Between 30 October 2024 and 23 December 2024, the government consulted on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement, to give Registered Providers the certainty they need to invest in new social and affordable housing.

In Lancashire and Fylde, and across the country, we are engaging closely with industry, including developers, housing associations and local authorities to build more houses. Blackpool has received £90 million of capital funding from Homes England for the first phase of housing regeneration in the city. This investment will create high quality homes and regenerate the town centre.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the planning system in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on chalk streams protection.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Cleaning up our waters, including chalk streams, is a government priority. Restoring them to better ecological health means fixing the systemic issues in the water system.

Through the Water Environment Improvement Fund, the government is funding 45 projects this financial year (worth £2.5m of government investment) that improve chalk streams, each with the injection of private investment.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill establishes the Nature Restoration Fund which will create the opportunity for housing and infrastructure to do more to drive environmental recovery, including for chalk streams where these are covered by an Environmental Delivery Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the (a) water and waste, (b) airport and (c) national networks National Policy Statements will be updated by summer 2025.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 8 July 2024, the Chancellor committed to updating relevant National Policy Statements within 12-months.

The government recently launched a consultation on proposed amendments to the Energy National Policy Statements (NPSs) 1, 3 and 5 and intends to consult shortly on other draft amended National Policy Statements.

These draft amended NPSs will be laid in Parliament for consideration as prescribed by the Planning Act 2008. Completion of the update processes is subject to the outcome and timings of those consultation and Parliamentary timings.

The National Networks NPS is not included in this as it was designated in May 2024.

The government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports NPS, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent.

Further to this, we are introducing legislation through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make at least five-yearly reviews of all NPSs a legal requirement. This would include a transitional period in which NPSs that are currently out of date (i.e. more than 5 years old at the time of Royal Assent) will have two years from the bill being enacted to update their NPSs in line with the legislation. All other NPSs will be required to be updated within 5 years of their designation of latest update.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40496 on Business confidence in rural communities, what criteria her Department uses to classify a constituency as rural; and whether Aldridge-Brownhills constituency meets the criteria for such a classification.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Aldridge-Brownhills is not considered a rural constituency based on ONS 2021 rural-urban census data.

The Government does not collect specific constituency level data on business confidence. Recent economy wide surveys from EY, PwC and Lloyds Bank show overall business and investor confidence is rising. This Government is going further and faster to deliver economic growth and support businesses by increasing capital spending, overhauling our regulatory system, and getting Britain building through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to increase the delegation rate for planning applications.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes a regulation-making power to issue statutory guidance on a national scheme of delegation.

The government intend to formally consult on proposals relating to the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside the Bill’s passage.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many planning inspectors are qualified to run local planning examinations; and whether her Department plans to increase staffing at the Planning Inspectorate in the context of the timeframes proposed in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) currently has 60 Inspectors (55FTE) trained to carry out Local Plan Examinations.

The government is committed to achieving a more efficient and consistent local plans examination process. This includes ensuring there is sufficient resourcing in PINS to support such activity.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on protected habitats (a) on the Humber Estuary and (b) in general.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as barriers to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will introduce a new Nature Restoration Fund that will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond neutrality to unlock the positive impact development can have in driving nature recovery.

Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), and the conservation measures they propose, must be evidence-based and properly scrutinised before being put in place. An EDP can only be put in place where the Secretary of State is satisfied the delivery of conservation measures will outweigh the negative effects of development.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to require (a) developers and (b) housing associations to have robust warranties in place which include cover for (i) incomplete and (ii) inadequate work.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government’s plans to ensure new build homes are of sufficient quality are being taken forward outside of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. This includes reforms set out in the answer to Question UIN 37745 on 19 March 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the policy paper entitled New approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth, published on 17 March 2025, what steps her Department is taking to review the compliance costs related to planning regulations.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department is progressing a bold set of reforms to the planning system to support the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure. These reforms will streamline planning procedures and reduce the cost of planning for developers, local planning authorities and others engaged in the planning system.

Key measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill include a faster and more certain Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime, a new strategic approach to nature recovery for development, and the modernisation of planning committees. We are also reviewing the role of statutory consultees.

All reforms to planning law and regulations which affect businesses are subject to Impact Assessments to identify the costs and benefits of those reforms.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to allow (a) councils, (b) Natural England and (c) development corporations to have enhanced Compulsory Purchase Powers for the mandatory purchase of residential dwellings.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local authorities and development corporations already have various powers to compulsorily acquire property for the purposes of supporting their functions. Natural England also has powers to compulsorily acquire land to establish and maintain nature reserves.

The government is reforming the compulsory purchase process and compensation rules via the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to enable more effective land assembly through public sector-led schemes. A more streamlined and efficient process will also enable authorities to make greater use of their compulsory purchase powers, with associated cost savings realised through faster acquisition decisions.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government which individual infrastructure planning National Policy Statements will be updated by summer 2025, and which will be updated on a slower timetable.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government intends to consult shortly on draft amended Energy National Policy Statements (NPSs) ENs-1, 3 and 5, and the NPS for Ports. These draft amended NPSs will also be laid in Parliament for consideration as prescribed by the Planning Act 2008. Completion of the update processes is subject to the outcome and timings of the consultation and Parliamentary timings.

Consultation on the draft new nuclear NPS EN-7, which will be applicable to nuclear power stations expected to deploy beyond 2025, closed on 3 April. Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft NPS is expected to be completed by 23 June. Depending on the completion and outcome of these processes, the Government aims to designate this new NPS before the end of the year.

Further to this, we are introducing legislation through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make at least five-yearly reviews of all NPSs a legal requirement. This would include a transitional period in which NPSs that are currently out of date (i.e. more than 5 years old at the time of Royal Assent) will have 2 years from the bill being enacted to update their NPSs in line with the legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any plans the Office of Environmental Protection may have to publish advice regarding the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government welcomes continued collaboration with the Office for Environmental Protection as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill progresses. As an independent body, it is for the Office for Environmental Protection to decide whether to advise on proposed changes to environmental law within the Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned advice from the Office for Environmental Protection about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government welcomes continued collaboration with the Office for Environmental Protection as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill progresses. As an independent body, it is for the Office for Environmental Protection to decide whether to advise on proposed changes to environmental law within the Bill.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in the Second Reading of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 24 March 2025, Official Report, column 659, how protecting high-quality agricultural land will impact the use of best and most versatile land in energy infrastructure projects.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The National Planning Policy Framework and National Policy Statements were updated in 2024 and make clear that energy infrastructure should always be located in areas of poorer quality land rather that higher quality land where possible. A Strategic Spatial Energy Plan is also being developed to ensure new energy infrastructure projects are located in the most appropriate areas across the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to amend the Habitats Regulations.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes targeted amendments to the Habitats Regulations, with Schedule 4 including changes necessary to streamline environmental assessment as part of Environmental Delivery Plans and Schedule 6 adding Ramsar Sites to Part 6 of the Habitats Regulations so these sites are covered whilst strengthening protections.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much decision making authority local councillors will have over large-scale planning applications.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill does not change the consultation rules on local planning applications.

Representations can be made by interested parties and these are considered by the relevant decision maker – whether that be a local planning officer or planning committee.

The government intends to consult on the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside passage of the Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what measures does the Planning and Infrastructure Bill contain to empower local councillors, outside formal committee settings, to effectively influence planning decisions and represent their constituents' interests.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill does not change the consultation rules on local planning applications.

Representations can be made by interested parties and these are considered by the relevant decision maker – whether that be a local planning officer or planning committee.

The government intends to consult on the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside passage of the Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will safeguard the call-in powers of local councillors.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill does not change the consultation rules on local planning applications.

Representations can be made by interested parties and these are considered by the relevant decision maker – whether that be a local planning officer or planning committee.

The government intends to consult on the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside passage of the Bill.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to (a) help decrease planning delays for energy infrastructure projects and (b) engage with the public on those projects.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In December 2024, the Government published the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan which sets out an ambitious package of legislative and non-legislative reforms to our planning system to accelerate the development of energy infrastructure. The Government is currently progressing the Planning and Infrastructure Bill through parliament with measures to streamline planning processes for critical infrastructure, including energy projects.

The Government wants communities to continue to participate in the planning system and as a part of the examination process, have their say in decisions which may affect them. The Government has committed to ensuring communities benefit from new energy infrastructure they host.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Nature Restoration Fund levy will be subject to economic viability assessments.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to Clause 62, subsection (2) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will require planning officers who determine planning applications through their national scheme of delegation to declare any interests; and whether the bill will require local authorities to create a register of interests for planning officers along the lines of those for local councillors.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Our live tables on planning statistics show that in 2024 for district planning decisions 96% of applications were delegated to officers, and for county planning decisions 81% of applications were delegated to officers.

Proposals in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in relation to planning committees and a national scheme of delegation do not include changes to requirements to declare interests for either officers or councillors.

Clause 46 of the Bill gives the Secretary of State the power to, through regulations, require planning decisions to be made by committees or officers. We will consult on the details of this in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of planning applications that were considered by local authorities in 2024 were determined by (1) planning applications committees, and (2) planning officers.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Our live tables on planning statistics show that in 2024 for district planning decisions 96% of applications were delegated to officers, and for county planning decisions 81% of applications were delegated to officers.

Proposals in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in relation to planning committees and a national scheme of delegation do not include changes to requirements to declare interests for either officers or councillors.

Clause 46 of the Bill gives the Secretary of State the power to, through regulations, require planning decisions to be made by committees or officers. We will consult on the details of this in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure all planning decisions do not impact the UK’s climate and nature targets.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out in Paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

The Framework makes clear that the planning system should support the transition to net zero by 2050 and take full account of all climate impacts including overheating, water scarcity, storm and flood risks and coastal change. The need to mitigate and adapt to climate change should also be considered in preparing and assessing planning applications, taking into account the full range of potential climate change impacts.

The Framework also makes clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment. The revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 included changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats, and hedgehogs.

Biodiversity Net Gain requires development to deliver improvements for nature, while the Nature Restoration Fund proposed in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would allow development to fund nature recovery in a simpler and more strategic manner, creating a win-win outcome for both the economy and nature.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Environmental Development Plans proposed in Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be informed by site level assessments where required.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Environmental Delivery Plans will only be put in place where Natural England and the Secretary of State are confident that conservation measures will be sufficient to outweigh the impact of development.

The plans will be evidence based and subject to consultation before coming to the Secretary of State for consideration.

Where an Environmental Delivery Plan is in place and a developer utilises it, the developer would no longer be required to undertake their own assessments, or deliver project-specific interventions, for issues addressed by the Environmental Delivery Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to part three of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether environmental delivery plans will be applied in a modular way, with species considered on a case-by-case basis.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Environmental Delivery Plans will only be put in place where Natural England and the Secretary of State are confident that conservation measures will be sufficient to outweigh the negative impact of development.

Where this is not the case, existing environmental obligations, including those arising under the Habitats Regulations, will remain in place.

We are working with Natural England to explore which species might benefit from strategic approaches.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Environmental Development Plans proposed in Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be required to follow the mitigation hierarchy.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Environmental Development Plans will provide the flexibility to diverge from project-by-project mitigation and a restrictive application of the mitigation hierarchy.

However, this will only be where Natural England consider that this would deliver better outcomes for nature over the course of the delivery plan.

An Environmental Development Plan can only be put in place where Natural England and the Secretary of State are satisfied that the delivery of conservation measures will outweigh the negative effects of development.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the UK's ability to meet its binding climate and nature targets.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The measures contained in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, including a new Nature Restoration Fund and streamlined consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, will help deliver the government’s climate and nature commitments.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) maintain protections for (i) habitats and (ii) species in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and (b) provide adequate habitat replacement in (i) Kent and (ii) other areas with limited land availability.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as barriers to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will introduce a new Nature Restoration Fund that will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond neutrality to unlock the positive impact development can have in driving nature recovery.

Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), and the conservation measures they propose, must be evidence-based and properly scrutinised before being put in place. An EDP can only be put in place where the Secretary of State is satisfied the delivery of conservation measures will outweigh the negative effects of development.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the nature restoration fund on (a) peatlands, (b) ancient woodlands and (c) other irreplaceable habitats.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill provides an opportunity to accelerate housebuilding and infrastructure delivery by using development to fund nature recovery. This will create a win-win outcome, benefitting both the economy and nature, where both are currently stalled.

The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) will offer an alternative way for developers to discharge existing environmental obligations related to protected sites and species, without reducing overall levels of environmental protection. The Bill sets out that the specific environmental obligations which may be in scope of Environmental Delivery Plans in future are only those stemming from the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, or the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, which includes ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees, as well as blanket bog and lowland fen (which are peatland habitats), should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists. These protections will continue to apply.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on how they can ensure the enforcement of the golden rules around the development on green belt sites, particularly with regard to the provision of appropriate infrastructure.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework sets clear expectations on when development should comply with the Golden Rules.

Ahead of further updates, the relevant planning practice guidance on viability also makes clear that, where development takes place on land situated in, or released from, the Green Belt and is subject to the Golden Rules, site-specific viability assessment should not be undertaken or taken into account for the purpose of reducing developer contributions, including affordable housing and appropriate infrastructure.

As set out in the Framework and supporting guidance, local authorities should, where appropriate, consider the use of conditions or planning obligations. Authorities may take enforcement action against the breach of planning obligations contained in a section 106 agreement. Through our wider reforms to planning fees, including the relevant provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, local planning authorities will be better resourced to deliver their responsibilities, including enforcement activities where relevant.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to decarbonise the power system.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government published the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan ‘a new era of clean electricity’ on 13 December 2024 detailing our plan to achieve deliver clean power by 2030.

More recently, we have introduced the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring that billpayers and communities hosting energy infrastructure see meaningful benefits through lower energy bills and local project investment.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her oral contribution in the Second Reading of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 24 March 2025, Official Report, column 659, what steps she is taking to protect high-quality agricultural land.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government places great importance upon our agricultural land and food production.

We are maintaining the existing strong protection for the best and most versatile agricultural land.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. The Framework is clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, last updated on 27 February 2025, whether she plans to provide local authorities with powers to charge a fee for Listed Building Consent planning applications.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Planning fees in England are set by the Secretary of State. Local planning authorities cannot charge a fee for listed building consent applications.

Under the government’s proposals for localised fee setting in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, government may continue to prescribe where a fee should not be charged for a particular type of application.

The government intends to consult on the details of localised fee setting later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will provide guidance to councils on balancing the needs for (a) new housing and (b) nature recovery.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out in Paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. Sustainable development should be pursued both through the preparation and implementation of local development plans, and the application of policies in the framework.

Paragraph 187 of the Framework also makes clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment. The revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 included several changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats, and hedgehogs.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are being prepared across England to set out priorities for nature recovery, map important habitats and identify opportunities for improvements. The government recently updated its Planning Practice Guidance to explain the role of Local Nature Recovery Strategies in the planning system and made clear as part of that update that these strategies will form an evidence base which may be a material consideration when making planning decisions.

When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as a barrier to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will introduce a new Nature Restoration Fund that will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond simply offsetting harm to unlock the positive impact development can have in driving nature recovery.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2025 to Question 38050 on Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether Ministers attended the Downing Street preview of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 11 March 2025.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Ministerial meetings with external organisations will be published in the usual way on gov.uk.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Environmental Delivery Plans proposed in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill are compatible with section 17(5) of the Environment Act 2021.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is clear that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will not lead to a reduction in environmental protections.

The Secretary of State, when considering a policy decision to make an Environmental Delivery Plan for an area, will have due regard to the policy statement on environmental principles.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect animal habitats from building developments.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Protected sites designated under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 afford a high degree of statutory protection to some of our most valuable habitats. We are committed to making sure development contributes to nature’s recovery. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill gives us an opportunity to use development to support nature’s recovery, while providing greater speed and certainty for developers. We will use the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to establish a more efficient and effective way for obligations related to our most important sites and species to be discharged at a scale that has the greatest environmental benefits.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential implications of the development of the Land Use Framework for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.

When published, the Land Use Framework will seek to address the delivery challenges faced by communities, businesses, developers, landowners and farmers when considering how to make the best use of their land. It will be a cross-Government strategic document, setting out the evidence, data and tools needed to protect our most productive agricultural land and identify the best areas for nature’s recovery, while making sure appropriate plans are made as to where to build 1.5 million new homes, and the energy infrastructure needed to achieve Clean Power by 2030.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of Natural England's resources to run the Nature Restoration Fund, as outlined in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is working closely with Natural England and the wider Government to ensure appropriate resources are in place to administer the Nature Restoration Fund.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Part III of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the delivery timescales for large (a) infrastructure and (b) housing developments.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 38624 on 25 March 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether her Department (a) has commissioned or (b) plans to commission pilot studies to assess the effectiveness of Environmental Delivery Plans.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government will work with Natural England to put the first Environmental Delivery Plans in place as soon as possible following Royal Assent of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. We will continue to work with relevant stakeholders to determine the best places to implement the new approach.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to Part III of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what steps her Department plans to take to consult with stakeholders on the implementation of the nature restoration levy.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government will continue to work with relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the nature restoration levy.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that the prioritisation of overhead pylons in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill does not adversely impact (a) local communities and (b) the natural environment.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government’s position on overhead lines is set out in the National Policy Statement for electricity networks, NPS EN-5. In England and Wales, the Planning Act 2008 requires developers to demonstrate that they have consulted adequately with local communities, ensuring their feedback is considered and incorporated into the project proposal, before submitting their application for consent. Developers will also assess the environmental impacts of their projects through the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRA), which will include the natural environment. These assessments are then considered as part of the consenting process by the Secretary of State.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the unit cost to developers of the Nature Restoration Fund for a new build house.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as a barrier to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will introduce a new Nature Restoration Fund that will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond simply offsetting harm to unlock the positive impact development can have in driving nature recovery.

The government's intention is that the aggregate cost to developers of the Nature Restoration Levy will not be greater than the status quo. By taking a strategic approach to nature recovery, we can leverage economies of scale and reduce the need for costly project-level assessments to ensure every pound spent helps deliver on our environmental goals.

We are working with Regulatory Policy Committee to ensure that the Bill Impact Assessment and Committee’s opinion are published as soon as possible.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what would happen to funds provided by developers towards environmental delivery plans that are unspent at the conclusion of the environmental delivery plan period.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Nature Restoration Levy will be set to secure the conservation measures necessary to outweigh the negative effect of development covered by the Environmental Delivery Plan. In the event that there are unspent funds that are not required to secure the conservation measures under the Environmental Delivery Plan, these funds will be directed towards additional conservations measures and securing additional positive environmental outcomes. Should the Environmental Delivery Plan period elapse before this outcome is achieved, the funds will continue to be invested until the required environmental outcome is achieved.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled Major overhaul of planning committees to get Britain building, published on 9 December 2024, what threshold will be applied at which mandatory delegation to officers would be required.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government intends to consult on the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what guidance she plans to provide on the geographical scope of Environmental Delivery Plans; and whether they could (a) cover multiple local planning authority areas, (b) mirror a local planning authority area and (c) be smaller than a local planning authority area.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Each Environmental Delivery Plan will be required to delineate the geography to which it applies. The scale of Environmental Delivery Plans will reflect the nature of the environmental impact being addressed. This could result in Environmental Delivery Plans covering wide geographies across multiple local planning authorities, as well as smaller scale Environmental Delivery Plans where appropriate.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure that housing developments agreed through the accelerated planning process under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill align with the unique needs of local communities.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will improve certainty and decision-making in the planning system, including through introducing a new scheme of delegation to modernise local planning committees, and increasing the capacity of local planning authorities by enabling the cost recovery of planning fees.

It is local development plans that set out a vision and a framework for the future development of any given area, addressing needs and opportunities in relation to housing, the economy, community facilities and essential infrastructure – as well as a basis for conserving and enhancing the natural and historic environment, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and achieving well designed places.

Local plans are the best way for communities to shape decisions about how to deliver the housing and wider development that their areas need.

Found: Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (N S I P ) regime; bringing forward a Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: major infrastructure projects will be scrapped, through amendments to the pro-growth Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: alone is expected to deliver an extra 170,000 homes by 2029/30, as well upcoming the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: drive housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years, and through the pro-growth Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: strategy, which sets out a long-term plan for the country’s infrastructure, and the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: Notes to editors Through the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government is also bringing

Found: This decision follows measures in the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill which will see dozens of clean

Found: strategy, which sets out a long-term plan for the country’s infrastructure, and the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: Further reforms, such as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government’s long term housing strategy

Found: aware of several other strands of work in government that were relevant including the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: supply side reforms, including via increased capital spending, regulatory reform and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: supply side reforms, including via increased capital spending, regulatory reform and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: on financial sanctions and other issues (HM Treasury) • planning reform, including a Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: strategy, which sets out a long-term plan for the country’s infrastructure, and the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: Notes to editors Through the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government is also bringing

Found: This decision follows measures in the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill which will see dozens of clean

Found: strategy, which sets out a long-term plan for the country’s infrastructure, and the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: reform and the National Planning Policy Framework (including legislation such as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to ensure that consultations with communities on Skye regarding the expansion of renewable energy projects are conducted in a transparent, inclusive and comprehensive manner.

Answered by Allan, Alasdair - Acting Minister for Climate Action

The Scottish Government has set out instructions for developers to follow regarding pre-application consultation in our Good Practice Guidance document, which is available online, alongside other guidance documents: https://www.gov.scot/policies/energy-infrastructure/energy-consents/.

In addition, the Scottish Government have been working with the UK Government on strengthening community consultation for electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland as part of the UK Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The proposed reforms will make pre-application consultation for electricity infrastructure projects a statutory requirement. It will also introduce an Acceptance Stage where Scottish Ministers can decline to accept applications which have not fulfilled the necessary requirements, thereby increasing local input into project proposals.

Found: reform white paper (for England) and further changes are proposed in this area via the UK Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: provisions, with the Scottish Government “still to reach a position on consent” on others) Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: ................................................................... 3 Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Found: ................................................................... 4 Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill