§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
When local authorities take social issues into account when considering planning applications, how these issues are defined; and why the provision of an "amusement arcade" is considered a "moral" and not a social issue.
The Earl of CaithnessSection 29 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 requires those deciding planning applications to have regard to the provisions of the development plan (so far as material) and to any other material considerations. Case law has established that only considerations relating to land-use and environmental issues are material; including such matters as location, noise, disturbance and appearance. Neither social nor moral considerations are in themselves material in deciding planning applications.