The Minister for Housing (Christopher Pincher)
I congratulate the right hon. Member for Walsall South (Valerie Vaz) on securing this debate, about a town that is close to my heart; it is the town of my birth. I know that the matter is of great importance to the right hon. Lady as she has brought it to my attention and that of my Department previously.
The right hon. Lady mentioned the planning deal. The Government are committed to providing the homes that our country needs, and in this debate we have an excellent opportunity to discuss how all groups in the community, including Gypsies, can have their needs met. In terms of the overall issue raised regarding local authority conduct, I am sure that the right hon. Lady understands that Ministers, rightly, have limited remit to intervene in the day-to-day affairs of local authorities, and clearly it is not appropriate for a Minister such as me to comment on specific planning cases or on the local plan, because of the quasi-judicial role that I fulfil. Given that the proposed transit site is subject to obtaining planning permission, and that the decision on the planning application has not yet been made, I would encourage her to continue her discussions directly with the local authority, because the decision, whatever it may be, is subject to the obtaining of planning permission, and therefore interested parties—I am sure that she has encouraged interested parties to express their view—have been able, and are able, to offer their view.
However, if the right hon. Lady considers that there are grounds for complaint against the council, I would direct her to the council’s own complaints procedure and suggest that she continues to use her voice in this House. She has used privilege, as we are all able to do, to raise a concern that she has about bias and a specific councillor in Walsall. I would say, by the bye, that Councillor Andrews is, I believe, councillor for Pheasey Park Farm, which is a ward not in Walsall North but in her Walsall South constituency.
In planning for Traveller sites, the Government’s overarching aim is to ensure fair treatment for Travellers in a way that facilitates the nomadic way of life while respecting the interests of local residents. The evidence is clear. Gypsies, Roma and Travellers face some very considerable challenges—a matter that the Government take very seriously. That is why we wish to encourage local authorities to make their own assessments of need for Travellers, and to have in place local plans to meet that need, in the same way as they plan for all forms of housing. Such plans should identify sites to meet need and contain criteria-based policies to guide decisions on applications that come forth. The Government believe that local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites, and to ensure that they are sustainable environmentally, economically and socially, including consideration of the health and wellbeing of Travellers that may locate there.
Through an increase in the provision of both permanent and transit sites in appropriate locations and with planning permission, the Government trust that local authorities will be able to reduce the occurrence of unauthorised encampments in their local area. We have a proud record: the number of authorised transit sites provided by local authorities had increased to 356 locations in England and Wales as of January 2020. That is an increase of over 41% since the previous decade. Through a written ministerial statement in February 2019, we reminded local planning authorities—of course, that includes Walsall—of their duties to assess the need for sites and make transit sites available. Through our affordable homes programme, we are investing £11.5 billion in affordable housing over the next five years—the largest investment in over a decade. As part of this, local authorities and registered providers, including housing associations, can bid for funding for permanent and transit sites. Some excellent permanent and transit sites have been built and managed by councils and housing associations. I encourage more authorities to bid for funding, and I encourage the right hon. Lady to encourage Walsall to bid for such funding.
The right hon. Lady raised the issue of consultation. Effective consultation is, of course, essential when considering any planning application, because it enables local authorities to identify and consider all the relevant issues associated with a proposed development. In this particular case, the application was lodged on 24 March, and local residents and others have an opportunity to consult the council.
As is the case for all planning applications, applications for Traveller sites must, except in exceptional circumstances, be determined in accordance with the local authority’s development plan and other relevant considerations. Local opposition or support is not in itself a ground for refusing or granting planning permission, but a consideration that needs to be taken into account alongside many others. Of course, the ultimate decision on the weight given to different considerations for any planning application rests with the local authority, which considers each application on its merits.
In advance of an authority making a decision on a planning application, there is an opportunity for any third party to request a call-in of the application for the Secretary of State’s own determination. Generally, the Secretary of State will only consider whether a call-in is appropriate once an application has completed the local planning process and if the local authority is minded to approve it. Call-in powers, as many right hon. and hon. Members in this place will know—to their, I suppose, great sadness—are essentially only used if issues of more than local importance are involved. As the case that the right hon. Lady raises has not yet been approved or rejected by Walsall Council, I do not believe that it would be appropriate for the Secretary of State to intervene in these circumstances.
The Government recognise that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are among the most disadvantaged in British society; that was highlighted by the Government’s race disparity audit in 2017. Further steps are now being taken through a new and ambitious cross-Government strategy to improve opportunities across a range of measures, including housing, health and education. In developing the strategy, which we will publish soon, we are determined to address the disparities that we know some people continue to face
During the pandemic, which the right hon. Lady mentioned, the Government have invested £400,000 in education and training programmes for more than 100 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and young people so that they can receive extra tuition to catch up on lost learning, one-to-one support and expert guidance to help them to progress in education or find employment. We have invested £23.75 million in the community champions scheme to work with the communities—including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities—most at risk of covid-19. That is in addition to the £700 million package announced in February by the Department for Education for the expansion of one-to-one and small- group tutoring programmes, as well as to support the development of disadvantaged children in early years settings and summer provision for those pupils who need it most. I know that the challenges facing the education of Traveller children are of concern to the right hon. Lady and to many Members from all parties, including my hon. Friend the Member for South West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous), who has also raised the matter with me.
The adequate provision of sites, including transit sites, is likely to have a direct effect on reducing the occurrence of unauthorised encampments, which can cause harm and misery to those affected by them and can be costly and time-consuming for landowners who have to move and then clean them up afterwards. They also all too often give an unfair and unkind image of the majority of Travellers who abide by and respect the law.
Unauthorised encampments also fuel increased tensions between the Travellers and local residents, working against the creation of the sort of happy and cohesive communities that we aspire to achieve—an issue also raised with me by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North East Hertfordshire (Sir Oliver Heald). That is why our manifesto committed to tackling unauthorised Traveller camps by giving police new powers to arrest and seize the property and vehicles of trespassers, making intentional trespass a criminal offence, and giving councils greater powers in the planning system. To that end, in March my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary introduced to Parliament a Bill that will make intentional unauthorised trespass that criminal offence in certain circumstances, including where the trespass has caused or is likely to cause significant damage and disruption or distress. I hope that will be of some benefit and interest to the right hon. Lady’s constituents.
The steps we are taking to tackle unauthorised encampments will complement the ongoing work of my own Department and the Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall North (Eddie Hughes), to strengthen councils’ planning enforcement powers to tackle unauthorised developments, which will be introduced as part of our wider planning reforms.
Once more, I congratulate the right hon. Lady on contributing to this debate so powerfully, eloquently and passionately on behalf of her constituents. I hope it is clear from what I have said that we are committed to delivering a planning system that works for all groups in society. We are taking strong action to improve opportunities for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, who are among the United Kingdom’s most disadvantaged. We are taking steps to increase the provision of transit sites and thus reduce the number of unauthorised sites. Where some Travellers break the rules, we are putting in place tough measures to prevent and deter unauthorised sites, which are, as I say, to the detriment both of local residents and of the Travellers themselves. We are proud of our record of increasing the number of authorised transit sites and will continue to encourage the provision of sufficient and appropriate sites in appropriate locations for the travelling community. We remain committed to delivering a fair planning system in which the needs of all groups in the community are met. On that note, I congratulate the right hon. Lady again and hope that I have gone some way to affirming her support for our general policies.
Question put and agreed to.