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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to hold discussions with residents from rural communities before encouraging a mass building of properties.

The Planning for the Future White Paper proposed to make the planning system simpler, quicker and more accessible for local people to engage with. Our consultation received more than 40,000 responses which we are carefully considering.

Our proposed planning reforms will give communities, both rural and urban, a greater voice from the start of the planning process and will make it quicker and easier for local people to engage with the system, particularly at the local plan stage where the use of land is considered. This will give communities real influence over both the location and design of development, rather than having to react to unexpected and ad hoc planning applications

Local communities will also be empowered to create local design codes, ensuring planning rules reflect local priorities for character and design, and will continue to be able to have their say on specific proposals that come through the system.