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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the planning rules on new accesses to the highway.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is already clear that transport issues should be considered from the earliest stage of plan-making and development proposals. This enables potential impact of development on transport networks to be addressed, including access. Local Plans should be prepared with the active involvement of local highways authorities. When determining a planning application for development which involves access to or from a trunk road the local planning authority must consult the local highways authority. They will provide expert advice, based on technical standards and on any adopted local transport plan policies, relating to highways safety and impacts on the transport network as a whole.