Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide details of their proposals, including timetables, for the implementation of each of the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Act 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As outlined in the King’s Speech, the Government will implement the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 so that leaseholders can benefit from more rights, power and protections over their homes. A small number of provisions came into force on 24 July, two months after Royal Assent, relating to rentcharge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners. The implementation of many of the reforms in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will require a programme of secondary legislation. Any reforms to leasehold law are highly complex, and the Government will take the time required to get those changes right.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to promote shared ownership for potential homeowners.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Prospective buyers can find out more about shared ownership from the information provided on Gov.UK. This information includes a search tool that prospective buyers can use to find social landlords in their local area offering homes for sale on shared ownership terms. The Government would always encourage prospective buyers to take independent professional and legal advice before purchasing a shared ownership home.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ending the Right to Buy scheme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 4158 on 12 September 2024.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to protect the greenbelt in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There is no Green Belt in the South Holland and The Deepings constituency, and none has been designated by any of Lincolnshire’s seven district or borough council areas.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that routes identified in Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans are considered by local planning authorities when (1) creating local plans, and (2) taking planning decisions.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As part of the ongoing government consultation ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other changes to the planning system’ which was launched on Tuesday 30 July, we are seeking views on proposed changes to the NPPF intended to support the provision of public infrastructure and to create sustainable, healthy communities.
Contributions from developers play an important role in delivering the infrastructure that local communities expect to see alongside new development. The Government will focus on improving the system of developer contributions.
The NPPF makes clear that plans should set out the contributions expected from development. This should include setting out the levels and types of affordable housing provision required, along with other infrastructure (such as that needed for health, open space, and transport). Plan-makers should work in collaboration with the local community, developers, and other stakeholders to create realistic, deliverable policies.
It is important that local planning authorities prepare, and keep up to date, a local plan as the primary basis for identifying what development is needed in an area. This helps ensure that local strategies to improve health and wellbeing and the provision of the required health infrastructure are supported and considered in plans (including in the preparation of strategic policies for community facilities) and in planning decisions.
Working with the advice and support of the Director of Public Health, plan-makers may also need to involve key groups in the local health and wellbeing system, including Health and Wellbeing Boards.
The Government is committed to promoting active travel and ensuring that routes identified in Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) are considered in planning decisions. Active Travel England (ATE), established as an executive agency within the Department for Transport, acts as a statutory consultee in the planning system, reviewing active travel provisions in major planning applications to ensure they align with the standards and principles set out in national design standards. This ensures that new developments support and enhance active travel routes identified in LCWIPs.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authorities to consult directors of public health when (1) creating local plans, and (2) taking planning decisions.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As part of the ongoing government consultation ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other changes to the planning system’ which was launched on Tuesday 30 July, we are seeking views on proposed changes to the NPPF intended to support the provision of public infrastructure and to create sustainable, healthy communities.
Contributions from developers play an important role in delivering the infrastructure that local communities expect to see alongside new development. The Government will focus on improving the system of developer contributions.
The NPPF makes clear that plans should set out the contributions expected from development. This should include setting out the levels and types of affordable housing provision required, along with other infrastructure (such as that needed for health, open space, and transport). Plan-makers should work in collaboration with the local community, developers, and other stakeholders to create realistic, deliverable policies.
It is important that local planning authorities prepare, and keep up to date, a local plan as the primary basis for identifying what development is needed in an area. This helps ensure that local strategies to improve health and wellbeing and the provision of the required health infrastructure are supported and considered in plans (including in the preparation of strategic policies for community facilities) and in planning decisions.
Working with the advice and support of the Director of Public Health, plan-makers may also need to involve key groups in the local health and wellbeing system, including Health and Wellbeing Boards.
The Government is committed to promoting active travel and ensuring that routes identified in Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) are considered in planning decisions. Active Travel England (ATE), established as an executive agency within the Department for Transport, acts as a statutory consultee in the planning system, reviewing active travel provisions in major planning applications to ensure they align with the standards and principles set out in national design standards. This ensures that new developments support and enhance active travel routes identified in LCWIPs.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reason the second of the green belt purposes in paragraph 140 of the draft National Planning Policy Framework, "to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another", is not replicated in paragraph 155 regarding major development permitted through development management or on land which has been released from the green belt.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government recognises the important role the Green Belt plays in preventing urban sprawl and remains committed to its continued protection. The manifesto was clear that without changing its purpose or general extent, the government will take a more strategic approach to Green Belt release to build more homes in the right places.
The Government’s proposed reforms relating to the Green Belt, and approach to implementation, are set out in the consultation on our approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system. This consultation began on Tuesday 30 July and closes on Tuesday 24 September.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the removal of the presumption of a five-year land supply for local authorities with an up-to-date local plan as part of the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework does not lead to a significant increase in speculative applications and planners' workload.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Our consultation on national planning policy delivers on our manifesto commitment to reversing the changes made to the NPPF in December 2023 that were detrimental to housing supply. These changes are an essential part of meeting our commitment to building 1.5m new homes. Alongside this, we have set out clear plans for improving the operation of the presumption and for boosting the capacity of LA planners.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the financial health of Buckinghamshire council; and what steps her Department takes to support councils that may be at risk of financial difficulties.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Councils are responsible for their own financial management, and the department does not monitor their day-to-day business.
The Government is under no illusions about the scale of the pressures that local authorities are facing. We recognise the vital work that local councils do for their communities and stand ready to speak to any council that is experiencing financial difficulties.
The Government will work closely with councils to provide more stability through multi-year funding settlements, ending competitive bidding for pots of money and reforming the local audit system. Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has had with Buckinghamshire Council on the adequacy of its financial reserves.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Councils are responsible for their own financial management, and the department does not monitor their day-to-day business.
The Government is under no illusions about the scale of the pressures that local authorities are facing. We recognise the vital work that local councils do for their communities and stand ready to speak to any council that is experiencing financial difficulties.
The Government will work closely with councils to provide more stability through multi-year funding settlements, ending competitive bidding for pots of money and reforming the local audit system. Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement.