Written questions

Property Development

Commons · Question 7382 · Tabled 8 Jun 2026 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · Official record

Answered 16 Jun 2026

Question

Asked by Kerry McCarthy

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential risk of speculative development in locations without an up-to-date Local Plan.

Answer

Answered by Matthew Pennycook, 16 Jun 2026

In the absence of an up-to-date Local Plan, there is a high likelihood that development will come forward on a piecemeal and speculative basis, with reduced public engagement and fewer guarantees that it will make the most of an area’s potential. It is fo...