Planning and Land use to Support Sustainable Rural Communities

The Prime Minister has today announced that Matthew Taylor MP will advise and assist the Minister of State for Housing and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - within the context of existing protection for the rural environment - on the application of land use planning policy to facilitate the provision of land for greater economic and social sustainability within rural communities, including land for enterprise and provision of affordable rural homes.

Matthew Taylor will in particular to look at the practical issues around:

• the identification and release of appropriate land for local economic development and affordable rural housing provision, working in conjunction with local government, parish councils and land owners;
• investigating the potential for increasing the provision of live/work space within rural communities; and
• assessing the local implementation of new planning rules on rural housing following the recommendations of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission.

He will report around July 2008.