Written question asked by Wendy Morton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 July 2026. It was answered by Matthew Pennycook (Labour) on Thursday, 23 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

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Planning Permission

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the draft National Planning Policy Framework on the capacity of local planning authorities to refuse planning applications that conflict with locally adopted planning policies; whether he expects National Decision-Making Policies to take precedence over locally adopted development management policies in practice; and if he will publish that assessment.

Answer

By law, planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

The National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in preparing the development plan, and is a material consideration in planning decisions.

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Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

18617

Session

2026-27

Grouped for answer

Yes

Subjects

Planning permission

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk