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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that emergency powers granted to local authorities during the covid-19 outbreak are not being used to avoid local consultation and opposition on planning decisions.

The Government has made clear that local planning authorities should continue to prioritise decision-making during these challenging times to ensure that the planning system continues to function, especially when this will support the local economy.

Local planning authorities are still required to undertake a formal period of public consultation of no less than 21 days, prior to deciding a planning application. Until the consultation period has closed the local planning authority may not determine the application.

The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure, Listed Buildings and Environmental Impact Assessment) (England) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 has introduced temporary regulations to supplement the existing statutory publicity arrangements. Local planning authorities (and applicants of EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act) now have the flexibility to take other reasonable steps to publicise applications if they cannot discharge the specific requirements for site notices, neighbour notifications or newspaper publicity.

The Government has also introduced legislation to allow council committee meetings to be held virtually for a temporary period. The Planning Advisory Service has produced guidance for local planning authorities on how to adapt their planning services in response to Covid-19, including information on planning committees.

These measures will ensure sufficient public participation in the planning process is maintained.