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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will amend the General Permitted Development Order to require that all new surfaces in front gardens should be permeable.

Permitted development rights already require that hard surfacing in excess of five square metres is made of porous materials or the run-off is directed from the hard surface to a permeable or porous surface within the curtilage of the house.

The Government has published Guidance on the Permeable Surfacing of Front Gardens , available at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7728/pavingfrontgardens.pdf