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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 182c of the National Planning Policy Framework, how she defines the lifetime of the development.

Paragraph 182(c) of the revised National Planning Policy Framework sets out that all major development should have maintenance arrangements for sustainable drainage systems in place to ensure an acceptable standard of operation for the lifetime of the development.

National planning guidance states that residential development can be assumed to have a lifetime of development of at least 100 years, unless there is specific justification for considering a different period. For non-residential development, the lifetime will depend on its characteristics, but 75 years is likely to form a starting point for assessment. Development such as some major infrastructure projects or new settlements may have a lifetime significantly beyond 100 years.