Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State of 17 May 2011, Official Report, column 274, on the Localism Bill, what definition of sovereign his Department uses;
Answer
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, section 38 (6), requires that local councils' decisions on planning applications must be made in accordance with a council's development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. While the weight given to other considerations is a matter for the decision maker, the Act is clear that the primary basis for deciding planning applications is the council's local plan.We do not propose to alter the legal basis of councils' local plans, which is that they are prepared in accordance with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.The Localism Bill proposes to abolish regional strategies which will increase the importance and weight of councils' locals plans.