§ 17. Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy on the future of rural buffer zones. [54342]
§ Mr. RaynsfordPlanning Policy Guidance note 7-—"The Countryside", advises (para 4.16) that local countryside designations such as rural buffer zones should be maintained or extended only where there is good reason to believe that normal planning policies cannot provide the necessary protection. Such local designations carry less weight than national designations and development plan policies and development control policies should reflect this.