The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th July 2021:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to (1) review, and (2) update, what constitutes a designated ‘rural area’ within the terms of section 157 of the Housing Act 1985 with a view to including more smaller rural communities.
Lord Greenhalgh (Con): The areas set out under section 157 of the Housing Act 1985 are National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and areas designated as rural for the purposes of Right to Buy by the Secretary of State.
The criteria for rural designation are that the population density is 2 persons or fewer per hectare; and that there are no more than 3,000 inhabitants.
Areas are designated at the request of individual local authorities; and can be made at any time.
There are no immediate plans to review the designation criteria; but the Government continues its commitment to meeting the housing needs of rural communities.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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