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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of updating planning validation checklists to require Soil Impact Assessments for major housing developments.

The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including policies designed to encourage a more consistent and proportionate approach to local information requirements (local validation lists).

The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026