Written Question·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·UIN 111726

Housing: Construction

Tabled: 9 February 2026

Answered: 2 March 2026

Question

Sir Oliver Dowden

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to protect local democracy when changing the referral criteria to require Local Planning Authorities to notify the Department where they intend to refuse

Answer

Matthew Pennycook

The power to call in planning applications is a long-established one. Decisions on call-in are a question of jurisdiction and not a view on the merits of any given application. The policy on call in, as set out in a Written Ministerial Statement of 26 Oct...

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