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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards developing the new national planning practice guidance; what research they undertook or commissioned to inform that guidance; and whether that plan includes measures to permit the development of new road schemes that offer shared space between pedestrians, motorists and other road users.

Following the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework in July 2018, the Government has committed to revising planning practice guidance in line with this. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is working closely with the Department for Transport, on guidance relating to sustainable transport and accessibility which will address shared space schemes and inclusive spaces. The publication of the Inclusive Transport Strategy in July 2018, led to a pause on the shared space schemes at design stage. The Department for Transport are currently working with the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland to undertake research on the issue of inclusive street design. The conclusions and recommendations of the research will then feed into further work to produce updated guidance on street design.