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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will take steps with (a) academies and (b) schools to introduce impact statements for large housing developments within their catchment area.

The National Planning Policy Framework recognises the importance of ensuring a sufficient choice of early years, school and post-16 places are available to meet the needs of existing and new communities and outlines that local planning authorities should take a proactive, positive, and collaborative approach to meeting this requirement, and to development that will widen choice in education.

The Framework further states that local planning authorities should give great weight to the need to create, expand or alter early years, schools, and post-16 facilities through the preparation of plans and decisions on applications, and work with early years, school and post-16 promoters, delivery partners and statutory bodies to identify and resolve key planning issues before applications are submitted.

In view of these existing provisions, the government has no plans to introduce separate requirements for impact statements for large housing developments.