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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many Article 4 directions to restrict the application of permitted development rights in local areas have been made by (a) local planning authorities and (b) the Secretary of State in the last three years; how many times he has restricted or amended those developments by local planning authorities in that time; and how many such cases relate to planning permission for the construction of basements.

Between 2013 and 2015 the Department was notified of 256 article 4 directions made by local authorities. The Department made no article 4 directions and modified eight.