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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 16 December 2025, page 100, for what reason he has repealed the written ministerial statement and associated planning policy on community pubs of 26 January 2015, Official Report, HCWS221.

The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes a list of Written Ministerial Statements and other documents where the planning policy stated within them is reflected in the proposed NPPF policies on which we are consulting, or which no longer represents government policy. The changes would not affect other content in the Written Ministerial Statements concerned.

The consultation includes policy designed to facilitate and safeguard the provision of community facilities such as public houses.

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