To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for her assessment of the impact of the Planning Advice Note concerning Implementation of Strategic Planning Policy for Development in the Countryside.

My assessment is that the Planning Advice Note (the PAN), which recently issued on the 2 August 2021, will have a positive impact on the planning system overall and our rural communities.

The PAN provides advice, which councils, as planning authorities in their own right, will take into account when determining planning applications for development in the countryside, along with all other material planning considerations. The PAN does not, however, change existing planning policy. It is intended to assist planning authorities and users of the planning system in the interpretation and implementation of extant planning policy as contained in the Strategic Planning Policy Statement (the SPPS). It re-emphasises and clarifies several policy issues and will assist in ensuring a consistent interpretation of the policy across the North.

I firmly believe that the current policy approach for development in the countryside remains appropriate and facilitates sustainable patterns of development while also supporting a vibrant rural community. I will continue to consider current and emerging issues, such as the climate emergency, to ensure that strategic planning policy for development in the countryside remains fit for purpose.