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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to require local authorities to publish annual information on the number of housing planning applications (a) submitted and (b) granted for sites (i) within the boundaries of and (ii) in the setting of AONBs.

There are no immediate plans to require local planning authorities to publish data on the number of planning applications and permissions within AONBs. However, a key aim of our planning reforms is to digitalise planning services so more data like this can become available.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in AONBs, and the White Paper does not propose to change this.

The Government is committed to delivering affordable homes for local people. In our recent response to the consultation on Changes to the Current Planning System, we committed to review and update existing Planning Practice Guidance to assist local authorities in delivering rural exception sites. These are small sites which can come forward and provide local people with affordable housing in areas such as AONBs.