Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the merits of designating brownfield sites around cities for residential development over commercial.

It is for local authorities to determine where they meet local housing need, having regard to planning constraints in their area, to other planning goals, and to our National Planning Policy Framework. Local authorities should plan for all strategic priorities, not only the new homes we need but economic development, employment, and vibrant and prosperous town centres. The Framework expects local authorities to prioritise brownfield land for development wherever possible, and to assess and plan which land-use individual sites should serve. Our Planning for the Future consultation proposes that, under a reformed system, local authorities would use the plan-making process to categorise all their land as areas for growth, renewal or protection. They could direct development onto brownfield, ensure the continued protection of Green Belt and other valued countryside, and deliver - through a fast-track process - beautiful buildings that accord with design guidance.