In questions to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Huw raised concerns brought to him by Burwash residents regarding the transparency of the planning appeal process, particularly in cases where developers seemingly have access to information that residents may not. He asked the Minister of State for Housing, Kit Malthouse, whether the department had any plans to reform the appeal process so that residents feel more involved.

The Minister said the issue of the transparency  of the planning inspectorate was one brought to him by people across the country. To that end, he said the department was in the process of implementing the recommendations outlined in the Rosewell Review.

The government-commissioned review, named after it’s chair Bridget Rosewell CBE, is an independent review of planning appeal inquiries. There are a total of 22 recommendations made in the report aimed at making the planning appeal inquiry more efficient and transparent. Alongside this, the Minister also said the department were bringing in a new online system that would enable the progress of appeals to be tracked online.

Watch the exchange below: