PLANNING POLICY GUIDANCE 7

Early day motion 160, tabled 27 November 2003 by Lord Howarth of Newport (Labour). Signed by 71 members.

That this House calls on the Government to retain within the forthcoming revised countryside planning guidance, PPG7, the provision which allows, exceptionally, that permission may be granted for an isolated new house in the countryside, provided that it is of the highest quality, in terms of its architecture and landscape design; proposes that planning permission in such cases should be subject to approval by the Commission on Architecture and the Built Environment; considers that rural as well as urban areas should be able to have the benefit of outstanding contemporary architecture; recognises that a number of today's finest architects are British, with their practices based in Britain, recalls that previous generations have had the confidence to commission the best architects to design houses that are now among the glories of our heritage and believes that we should have similar confidence in our own time; notes that there is no incompatability between the encouragement of architecturally outstanding individual houses and the provision of affordable housing in rural areas; and further notes the benefit to the rural economy of the creation of fine country houses, in particular in terms of jobs, tourism, and the perpetuation of craft skills and woodland management.

Signatures by party: Labour 29, Conservative 23, Liberal Democrat 11, Labour/Co-operative 7, UUP 1.