11 July 2025In a debate in the House of Commons specifically about the role of neighbourhood plans, especially in the context of the recent announcement by the Government that they plan to end support for their preparation, the Government spokesperson (Alex Norris MP, The Parliamentary Under Secretary for Housing, Communities and Government) said:
“I turn now to our announcement following the spending review that we are unable to commission further funded support for neighbourhood planning groups. It was not a decision taken lightly, and I recognise the concerns it has prompted among groups, local planning authorities and hon. Members. I pay tribute to Locality, the National Association of Local Councils and other organisations that played their part in that process. I worked on it very closely with Locality, an excellent organisation that is very good at making community voice heard. We want to be clear, however, that that is not an abolition of neighbourhood planning. We believe that neighbourhood planning is an important part of the planning system”.
Meanwhile, the Minister also stated that the Government intends to introduce a new system for the making of Local Plans later this year.
A copy of the debate can be found here
A copy of the ministerial statement can be found towards the end of the debate.
