§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will allow local authorities in the south-west to postpone development plans until regional planning guidance is revised following the result of his survey of brown-field land. [64149]
§ Mr. CabornNo. The importance for the plan-led system of keeping plans up to date was emphasised in the statement on Modernising planning, published on 15 January. Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, local planning authorities, in preparing their development plans, must have regard to any regional or strategic planning guidance issued by the Secretary of State, as well as to current national policies and other matters. Therefore, where development plans are being538W replaced or altered in the short term, they should continue to have regard to existing regional guidance, including, where specified, the housing provision figures.