Planning Permission: National Security
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Intelligence and Security Committee press notice of 20 January 2026, what steps his Department is taking to improve clarity on the role that national security considerations play in planning decisions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that planning policies and decisions should promote public safety and take into account wider security and defence requirements by anticipating and addressing possible malicious threats.
Proposals for major development in such locations should be informed by the most up-to-date information available from the police and other relevant agencies about the nature of potential threats and their implications.
The government is consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes policies on public safety and security.
The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
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