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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve "brownfield first" policies to ensure that suitable brownfield land is prioritised over greenfield sites in (1) local and strategic plans, and (2) planning decisions.

The updated National Planning Policy Framework, published in July last year, strengthened policy on the use of previously-developed land. It made clear that local authorities' strategic policies should make as much use as possible of brownfield sites in meeting development needs, and that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements. The Framework sets out a range of policies to help local authorities achieve this, including the use of minimum density standards for homes where appropriate.