Dr Luke Evans

Dr Luke Evans

Conservative — Hinckley and Bosworth

Speaking in the House of Commons on 9 July 2025

Debate

Neighbourhood Plans: Planning Decisions

Contribution

I thank the Minister. I know that this is not his brief, and that he fought eagerly to respond to this debate. I appreciate his constructive tone. He heard Members say that neighbourhood plans are not a luxury, that they are about local concern and that things should not be forced on communities. Members said that we want neighbourhoods that we want to live in, that local people should have a meaningful say, that we want scrutiny and, to the greatest extent possible, that they should be done with local residents. Those are the key sentiments behind neighbourhood plans. Neighbourhood plans are not obstacles to progress; they are the architects of local consent. In fact, they are the granular centre of local democracy. To dismantle them is to forget that true planning begins not in Whitehall but in the beating hearts of our communities, which call these places home. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered the role of neighbourhood plans in planning decisions.

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