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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2018 to Question 908852, what assessment he has made of the effect of plans for increased housing in Swale on access to primary health care in that area.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework requires local planning authorities to set clearer policy requirements for infrastructure and community facilities through plans, informed by evidence on infrastructure need and cost and viability assessments. At an early stage in the plan-making process, authorities will need to work alongside infrastructure providers, including healthcare providers, to identify requirements, and opportunities for addressing them.

It is understood that Swale Borough Council are updating their Local Plan. Once submitted, it will be examined by an independent Inspector. In testing the soundness of a plan, Inspectors assess whether sufficient provision is made for community facilities such as health infrastructure.