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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Planning for the Future White Paper, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Mendip Local Plan II meets the Government's policy of increasing the role of local communities in the planning process.

Due to the ministerial quasi-judicial role in the planning system, it would not be appropriate to comment on the details of specific local plans. We do need to modernise the planning system in England to provide better outcomes for local authorities, communities and builders, including small builders. We will ensure that communities are engaged throughout the planning process supported by digitisation, helping to bring the current system into the 21^st century. Communities will retain the ability to have a meaningful say on individual planning applications.