Regional Planning and Development: South East

Mr. Stewart Jackson
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 16 October 2009, Official Report, column 1139W, on regional planning and development: South East, what the status of the South East Regional Spatial Strategy is; and whether there are plans to (a) revise the Strategy and (b) undertake further environmental assessments.

Mr. Ian Austin
The South East Regional Spatial Strategy, published in May 2009, is part of the development plan under section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 with the exception of Policy H2(i) which was quashed by the High Court.

There are a number of outstanding legal challenges to the specific elements of the South East Regional Spatial Strategy which relate to the adequacy of the strategic environmental assessment that was undertaken and we are currently in legal negotiations with those who have challenged it. Pending the conclusion of these negotiations, we will consider the way forward including the strategic environmental assessment.