Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will issue guidance on how local authorities should balance achieving the Government's housing targets set by its standard methodology with the protection of chalk streams in areas of water stress.
The Government does not set local housing targets - the standard method for calculating local housing need is the starting point in the process of planning for the right number of homes, but it is not the housing requirement. Housing requirements are decided by local authorities when they write their local plan, taking account of constraints they face locally, including specific environmental constraints. Each plan is subject to a public examination in front of an independent Inspector, who plays an important role in examining plans impartially to ensure that they are legally compliant and sound
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is committed to working jointly with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to deliver the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan ambitions for achieving clean and plentiful water. In July, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs presented a written statement on reducing demand for water and we will continue to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on matters pertaining to local authority guidance and building regulations.