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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to improve the quality of planning advice made available to the neighbourhood planning process.

The Government has recently published updated neighbourhood planning guidance to support communities in the preparation of their plans. The amended guidance includes changes to reflect the updated National Planning Policy Framework which is clear about the important role that neighbourhood plans play in our plan-led system. Additional practical advice is provided through the Government’s £26 million Neighbourhood Planning Support Programme, which includes support from a national network of local neighbourhood planning champions.