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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make healthy housing a central feature of the future planning system.

Planning Reform provides a once in a generation opportunity to place renewed emphasis on how the planning system can contribute to delivering the healthy homes and neighbourhoods this country needs. The importance of this has been clear during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has highlighted the role that our homes and neighbourhoods play in health and wellbeing

We are taking measures to deliver healthy homes through the current planning system. We have published the National Design Guide which recognises the need for new homes to be functional, healthy and sustainable. The forthcoming National Model Design Code will help local authorities embed this through their own local design codes

The Planning for the Future White Paper consultation closed on 29 October 2020 and we are currently considering the responses received. The Government will publish a response which will set out decisions taken and proposed implementation.