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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information he holds on when Shropshire unitary authority will be in a position to bank an agreed five year land supply.

Shropshire Council submitted its Site Allocations and Management of Development Plan Document to the Secretary of State for examination on 1 August 2014, and its assertion that it has a five year supply of deliverable land will be robustly tested by the Planning Inspector.

Getting an up-to-date Local Plan in place, following extensive engagement with local communities and which includes a five year supply of housing sites, is the best way to protect an area from unplanned development whilst meeting local housing needs.

Where authorities are in the process of preparing plans, they still need to demonstrate that they have in place a five year supply of deliverable housing sites. Weight can be given to policies in emerging Local Plans to the extent that they reflect policies in the National Planning Policy Framework.