← LEADERSHIP TERMINAL

UK PARLIAMENT · SITTING

Olly Glover

MP for Didcot and Wantage · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

The Secretary of State’s suggestion that local identities are being considered will come as a huge surprise to my constituents in Culham and Clifton Hampden, which, although many miles from Oxford city centre and surrounded by countryside, will be incorporated into Greater Oxford.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION · 2026-07-16 · READ IN HANSARD

As highlighted by Wildlife and Countryside Link, the draft NPPF would limit local ambition and powers by preventing local planning authorities from requiring biodiversity net gain above the statutory 10% minimum. That seems like a retrograde step.

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK · 2026-07-16 · READ IN HANSARD

I am certainly interested to hear from the Minister whether he feels that the Planning Inspectorate has the resources to cope with an increase in the number of plans to examine and assess. The right hon. Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds) made a very important point about the implications of local government reorganisation.

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK · 2026-07-16 · READ IN HANSARD

I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. I recognise that a lot of work has gone into the proposals by a lot of people, but many of the details add to an existing impression of chaos. We are finally getting sight of the detail just 9.5 months before many affected areas have elections.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION · 2026-07-16 · READ IN HANSARD

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wells and Mendip Hills (Tessa Munt) for securing a debate on this important topic very much in the spirit of end-of-term relaxation. I want to start with some of the positives of the new draft NPPF.

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK · 2026-07-16 · READ IN HANSARD

More could be done to clarify the planning system and permissions for houses in multiple occupation. Such properties are often associated with parking and waste issues and, unlike larger HMOs, they may not be subject to requirements on parking provision, room sizes or amenity space, potentially resulting in poorer living conditions.

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK · 2026-07-16 · READ IN HANSARD

The complete record

Every one of 602 lines we hold for Olly Glover, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 13 of 13.

  1. This is unhelpful for tourism and cultural links for Kent, and is a waste of the considerable station infrastructure on the London to the channel high-speed line, which was provided for that specific purpose. More than 81,000 people have signed a petition calling for restoration of the Kent station calls, and a report by the Good Growth Foundation, which has been cited by many hon. Members today, estimates that up to £534 million of benefits per year would result from the restoration of those station calls. This issue is not just about Ashford, as we have already discussed today.

    INTERNATIONAL RAIL SERVICES: ASHFORD · 2025-10-14 · READ IN HANSARD

  2. I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. That was a time of very straitened Government finances, which is something the current Government, of her own party, also have to grapple with, and make unexpected and regrettable decisions—for example, significant national insurance contribution increases for employers. Both Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International brought benefits to Kent for many years, until 2020. The service was stopped by Eurostar for a range of reasons. Some are to do with Eurostar’s financial difficulties, as has been discussed, but there was also a lack of UK Conservative Government support for Eurostar, which was a choice, as well as Brexit. Both those things were major contributing factors. It is a matter of regret that, five years on, Eurostar still does not serve Kent.

    INTERNATIONAL RAIL SERVICES: ASHFORD · 2025-10-14 · READ IN HANSARD