Written questions by Morton.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Impact Assessment accompanying the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what assessment he has made of the proportion of additional housing delivery expected to arise from development on green belt land; what safeguards will apply to ensure that the Bill does not result in unnecessary or irreversible loss of protected green spaces; and if he will publish an analysis of whether housing targets can be met through brownfield and urban regeneration before green belt release is considered.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 requires strategic planning authorities to have regard to the need to ensure their spatial development strategies are consistent with national policies, including those relating to Green Belt and green spaces. There are no other provisions relating to Green Belt land in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. I otherwise refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84470 on 30 October 2025, UIN 94689 on 5 December 2025, UIN 98288 on 5 January 2026, UIN 102192 on 12 January 2026, UIN 105177 on 20 January 2026, UIN 106373 on 26 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the new cross-boundary strategic planning mechanisms proposed in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what assessment he has made of the level of the risk that strategic housing targets could concentrate development pressure on green belt land in authorities with strong environmental protections; what role local communities and elected councillors will retain in decision-making on green belt development; and if he will ensure that strategic planning does not override locally designated green spaces valued by residents.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 requires strategic planning authorities to have regard to the need to ensure their spatial development strategies are consistent with national policies, including those relating to Green Belt and green spaces. There are no other provisions relating to Green Belt land in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. I otherwise refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84470 on 30 October 2025, UIN 94689 on 5 December 2025, UIN 98288 on 5 January 2026, UIN 102192 on 12 January 2026, UIN 105177 on 20 January 2026, UIN 106373 on 26 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to accelerate planning decisions and increase housing supply, particularly in areas with acute demand.

The government has taken a range of steps to accelerate planning decisions and increase housing supply. In December 2024, we published a revised pro-growth National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). We are currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF to provide for clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. Our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act will speed up and streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure. It includes provisions that will facilitate the reform of planning committees so that they operate as effectively as possible and are focused on those applications which require member input and not revisiting the same decisions. Its provisions also include powers that allow the Secretary of State to delegate planning fee-setting to local planning authorities, enabling them to recover costs and reinvest to provide a more efficient and responsive planning service, including in respect of making timelier decisions. At the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026. This includes £8 million of targeted support which is being provided for local planning authorities handling the highest volumes of major residential schemes. At the Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced a further £48 million of investment over three years to support local planning authorities to attract, retain and develop skilled planners over a sustained period. Of this, £28.8 million has been allocated to MHCLG’s Planning Capacity and Capability Programme.

Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to review the performance and efficiency of the planning appeals process under forthcoming reforms.

The Planning Inspectorate's Strategic Plan commits the Agency to removing all casework backlogs and meeting all Ministerial targets, including those on relating to planning appeals, by 2027. The Inspectorate regularly publishes updates on its performance.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of how planning reforms will affect public consultation and community engagement in planning decisions in the West Midlands.

Local planning authorities are required to undertake a formal period of public consultation, prior to deciding a planning application. The proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that the government is currently consulting on will not affect this requirement.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that planning reforms support the timely delivery of local infrastructure in areas experiencing housing growth in the West Midlands.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of planning reform proposals on the timescales for the adoption of local plans by local authorities in the West Midlands.

Local planning authorities are responsible for publishing the intended timeframes for the production and adoption of their local plans. The government is determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible in order to achieve our ambition of universal plan coverage and to ensure plans contribute positively to our Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new safe and decent homes in England by the end of this Parliament. Local planning authorities are expected to work towards the adoption of an up-to-date local plan as soon as possible. In 2025, my Department awarded over £19 million of funding to support local plan delivery. We recently announced a further £14 million of funding in the financial year 2025-2026 to support local planning authorities with plan-making.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's planning reform proposals on the continued protection of green spaces and environmentally sensitive sites in the West Midlands.

Green spaces and environmentally sensitive sites continue to receive protection in national planning policy. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that open space should not be built on unless there is clear evidence it is no longer required; equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location; or development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use. It also makes clear that planning decisions should conserve and enhance sites of biodiversity value and that local plans should safeguard local wildlife rich habitats and designated sites of importance for biodiversity. In addition, the designation of land as Local Green Space allows communities to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them.

Communities and Local Government, what support is available to West Midlands local authorities to bring forward brownfield sites under the proposed changes to the planning system.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 91369 on 27 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether potential housing development on (i) supermarkets with car parks, (ii) edge of town retail parks, (iii) train station car parks and (iv) former industrial sites where more than 25% of each site is made up of hardstanding are brownfield.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 broadened the definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and made clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas. The definition in question can be found in the NPPF glossary on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether car parks, roads and other hardstanding in urban areas are brownfield land.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 broadened the definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and made clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas. The definition in question can be found in the NPPF glossary on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, for what reason a (a) supermarket with a car park and (b) former industrial site where more than 25% of the site is hardstanding is not considered previously developed land under regulation 21 of the Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025.

Works on previously developed sites will be charged at the 50% discount rate for the Building Safety Levy. This is because of the higher costs of developing a previously developed/ brownfield site, and the greater risk that these projects become unviable. As set out in our response to technical consultation, we have implemented a definition of “Previously Developed Sites” in the Building Safety Levy regulations which draws on the definition of “Previously Developed Land” set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Appropriate amendments have been made to reflect that the NPPF definition is primarily designed to inform planning policy whereas the Building Safety Levy definition is used in regulations to apply a tax discount. We recognise the issues highlighted, and we are considering whether the approach in regulations could be more closely aligned with the NPPF, while maintaining the level of precision required for a taxation system.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of excluding car parks, roads and other forms of hardstanding from the definition of Previously Developed Land under regulation 21 of the Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025 on housing viability.

Works on previously developed sites will be charged at the 50% discount rate for the Building Safety Levy. This is because of the higher costs of developing a previously developed/ brownfield site, and the greater risk that these projects become unviable. As set out in our response to technical consultation, we have implemented a definition of “Previously Developed Sites” in the Building Safety Levy regulations which draws on the definition of “Previously Developed Land” set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Appropriate amendments have been made to reflect that the NPPF definition is primarily designed to inform planning policy whereas the Building Safety Levy definition is used in regulations to apply a tax discount. We recognise the issues highlighted, and we are considering whether the approach in regulations could be more closely aligned with the NPPF, while maintaining the level of precision required for a taxation system.

Communities and Local Government, for what reason the Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025 introduced a new definition of Previously Developed land.

Works on previously developed sites will be charged at the 50% discount rate for the Building Safety Levy. This is because of the higher costs of developing a previously developed/ brownfield site, and the greater risk that these projects become unviable. As set out in our response to technical consultation, we have implemented a definition of “Previously Developed Sites” in the Building Safety Levy regulations which draws on the definition of “Previously Developed Land” set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Appropriate amendments have been made to reflect that the NPPF definition is primarily designed to inform planning policy whereas the Building Safety Levy definition is used in regulations to apply a tax discount. We recognise the issues highlighted, and we are considering whether the approach in regulations could be more closely aligned with the NPPF, while maintaining the level of precision required for a taxation system.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish any impact assessments on the potential displacement of visitors away from levy-charging areas of the West Midlands to neighbouring counties without such charges, and what analysis has been undertaken of the risks to the region’s smaller hospitality-based high streets.

The impacts of the overnight visitor levy will be determined by local decisions. Mayors will need to decide whether to implement a levy, subject to a local consultation on specific proposals. This consultation will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied, and how any revenue is invested in their region.The Government is consulting on the design and scope of the visitor levy and welcomes views from businesses, local authorities, and the public. The consultation runs until 18 February.

Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will be required to repay accumulated DSG deficits before 2028-29, or whether such deficits will be written off as part of the transition to central government funding of SEND provision.

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on West Midlands local authorities of the Government’s decision in the Autumn Budget to transfer full responsibility for funding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision to central government from 2028-29; and whether his Department has modelled the financial implications for Walsall Council, in particular the treatment of existing Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits.

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the OBR’s conclusion that cumulative local authority SEND deficits may reach £14 billion by 2027-28, and what implications this has for the financial sustainability of councils in the West Midlands, including Walsall, once the statutory override on DSG deficits expires in 2028.

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impact of granting the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority powers to levy a mandatory charge on overnight stays on smaller visitor economies such as Aldridge-Brownhills, Walsall and surrounding parts of the West Midlands that do not benefit from the international tourism profile of Birmingham city centre.

The impacts of the overnight visitor levy will be determined by local decisions. Mayors will need to decide whether to implement a levy, subject to a local consultation on specific proposals. This consultation will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied, and how any revenue is invested in their region.The Government is consulting on the design and scope of the visitor levy and welcomes views from businesses, local authorities, and the public. The consultation runs until 18 February.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish an authority-level assessment of the 2026 business rates retention reset, including (a) the financial implications of increasing the Safety Net to 100 per cent of Baseline Funding Levels before tapering back to existing levels, (b) the effect of the redesigned levy rate on local authorities with differing growth profiles, (c) the modelling behind the proposed approach to tax policy changes affecting specific property cohorts, and (d) the expected timetable for consulting Mayoral Strategic Authorities on the proposed new offer granting them a direct share of business rates growth to support Local Growth Plans.

Local authorities’ new allocations, accounting for the impact of the Reset, will be published at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement in December. The government has recently published plans for delivering the 2026 Reset: Resetting the business rates retention system from 1 April 2026.As this sets out, raising the safety net will provide increased certainty when authorities’ budget for business rates next year. Protections will be scaled back gradually to smoothly transition back to the standard levels of protection that the system has provided since 2013-14. To ensure safety net protections are affordable, a newly designed levy will continue to be applied to business rates growth, now applying to all local authorities proportionally as new growth builds. Again, as we have set out, the outcome of the 2026 business rates revaluation will be incorporated into the remeasurement business rates each local authority expects to collect from 1 April 2026.As confirmed in the Budget, the government will work with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to co-develop a new offer, starting in the coming months.