PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Agriculture: Land (4 June 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward plans to strengthen the protection of best and most versatile agricultural land in national planning policy.

Asked by:
Kerry McCarthy (Labour)

The use of best and most versatile farmland is for local planning authorities to lead through their Local Plans. This enables local communities to be consulted and to decide where development should go, and what local food-growing opportunities should be taken forward.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the importance for local planning authorities of taking account of the benefits of the best and most versatile farmland in preparing their Local Plans, including consideration of access to affordable, sustainable and healthy food.

Local planning authorities must consult Natural England before permitting non-agricultural development on significant areas of such land if this is outside the Local Plan.

Answered by:
Sir Brandon Lewis (Conservative)
9 June 2015