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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposing different start dates for the preparation of new local plans on local planning authorities, in the context of local government reorganisation in West Sussex.

The transitional provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026, set out the dates by which local planning authorities are required to start plan-making. It is the responsibility of individual local planning authorities to ensure they meet these requirements.

Local government reorganisation should not delay plan making. Local planning authorities who will form part of a new unitary authority should work together either on a joint plan or to align plan-making as far as practicable.