Oral Answers to Questions

John Pugh Excerpts

Monday 30th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Brandon Lewis]

Absolutely. A pub like that can be the absolute heart of the community, providing a range of services. Pub is The Hub and the Plunkett Foundation may be able to help. I am certainly happy to meet my hon. Friend if that would be helpful. I encourage his local authority to look at authorities such as Norfolk, which has just announced a specific local scheme for Norfolk to help local pubs to stay open as a key part of these communities.

[John Pugh (Southport) (LD)]

15. What assessment his Department has made of the extent to which the sequential test has inhibited out-of-town retail development.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Nick Boles)]

We have maintained strong planning policies requiring a town centre-first approach, including the sequential test. This ensures that out-of-town development goes ahead only where there are no suitable sites in an existing town centre.

[John Pugh]

I thank the Minister for that response, but we are being given some conflicting evidence: research by the Association of Convenience Stores shows unabated expansion. Will the Minister conduct some further independent research into supermarket out-of-town expansion?