Local Authorities: Sustainable Development

Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to incentivise councils to promote environmental sustainability with economic growth.

Mr. Iain Wright
The Department has taken a wide range of steps to incentivise councils to promote environmental sustainability with economic growth as set out in a range of documents including the Local Government White Paper and Planning White Paper.

In December 2007, we published, as a package, the annex to Planning Policy Statement 1 on Climate Change and draft Planning Policy Statement 4 on Sustainable Economic Development. When PPS4 is published in its final form these national statements of policy will be applied by councils to achieve sustainable development.