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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Department has taken since 2017 to make the planning system more transparent.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July 2018, brought in a number of reforms designed to increase the transparency of the planning system. These include expecting authorities to publish statements of common ground, making clear how strategic issues requiring the co-operation of other authorities are being addressed. The Framework also makes viability assessments publicly available, standardising how information on viability and planning obligations should be published, so that the process and findings are accessible to communities. The Housing Delivery Test, will also show which areas are delivering the homes their communities need.