L

Lord Lucas (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 9 September 2025

Debate

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Contribution

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her answer, but I do not understand it. I will take the example of the future Sussex unitary, which will be a principal authority, or at least can be a strategic planning authority. It actually is not the planning authority for a huge chunk of its territory, which is occupied by the South Downs National Park. If you are going to have a strategic plan, which is a planning document, covering the area of the principal authority, you surely have to involve the national park in that structure. I cannot see how you can have a strategic planning authority that is not the planning authority for a third of its area; it just does not make sense. You have to find some way of bringing in the national park. As my noble friend said, it is not the simplest of structures to work out, but surely, if you are producing a strategic plan for the whole area, it has to involve the planning authorities for that area.

More from Lord Lucas (Con)

Other recent Hansard contributions by the same speaker.

About Hansard

Hansard is the official verbatim record of proceedings in the UK Parliament. Every word spoken in the Commons and Lords is recorded and published — this page is a single contribution from that record.

Partner sites