Agent of Change
Commons · Question 114821 · Tabled 23 Feb 2026 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · Official record
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Question
Asked by Dame Caroline Dinenage
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of putting the agent of change principle on a statutory footing on i) the speed of the planning process ii) the number of gras
Answer
Answered by Matthew Pennycook, 3 Mar 2026
The agent of change policy is given effect through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which makes clear that where the operation of an existing business or community facility could have a significant adverse effect on new development in its vi...