Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of use Class E units converted to residential use, as proposed in the Supporting Housing Delivery and Public Service Infrastructure consultation, returning to high street or town centre uses.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The new homes delivered under the Class E to residential Permitted Development Right will help to increase housing supply. The Right will include a prior approval process to allow for local consideration of specific planning matters such as the impact of the introduction of residential use in general industrial, waste management, or storage and distribution areas on future occupiers. In addition, all new homes delivered under the Right will need to meet Nationally Described Space Standards and provide adequate natural light in all habitable rooms. A full Impact Assessment has been prepared which will be published shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that proposals in the Supporting Housing Delivery and Public Service Infrastructure consultation do not lead to developments that (1) fail to meet adequate design standards, and (2) fail to contribute to local areas and result in poorer living environments.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The new homes delivered under the Class E to residential Permitted Development Right will help to increase housing supply. The Right will include a prior approval process to allow for local consideration of specific planning matters such as the impact of the introduction of residential use in general industrial, waste management, or storage and distribution areas on future occupiers. In addition, all new homes delivered under the Right will need to meet Nationally Described Space Standards and provide adequate natural light in all habitable rooms. A full Impact Assessment has been prepared which will be published shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how their proposals in the Supporting Housing Delivery and Public Service Infrastructure consultation to allow the conversion of use Class E units to residential will operate alongside local plans that have already been developed to identify where housing should be situated.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The new homes delivered under the Class E to residential Permitted Development Right will help to increase housing supply. The Right will include a prior approval process to allow for local consideration of specific planning matters such as the impact of the introduction of residential use in general industrial, waste management, or storage and distribution areas on future occupiers. In addition, all new homes delivered under the Right will need to meet Nationally Described Space Standards and provide adequate natural light in all habitable rooms. A full Impact Assessment has been prepared which will be published shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult with local authorities on the development of targets for new homes.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
We consulted on changes to the standard method formula for assessing local housing need and have now considered the responses carefully. On Wednesday 16th December we announced that in order to ensure that the country meets the challenge of delivering 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s, we changed the formula to focus greater need into urban areas to maximise existing infrastructure and to support development that reduces the need for high-carbon travel.
We believe the new method achieves the balance between these objectives whilst also providing certainty and stability during a period of economic uncertainty for our communities, businesses, and development sector. The figures we published alongside the new formula are only indicative, and local housing need remains the starting point for planning for housing need. Authorities should consider how this is best met based on their local circumstance, based on land availability, and relevant constraints.
We continue to engage with those authorities who are facing challenges. The Spending Review confirmed initial funding of £7.1 billion for the National House Building Fund (NHBF) over the next four years to unlock up to 860,000 homes.
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that any reforms to the planning system protect the environment.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Our proposals in Planning for the Future seek to improve environmental outcomes. This will be achieved by amending the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure that it targets those areas where a reformed planning system can most effectively play a role in mitigating and adapting to climate change and maximising environmental benefits, while protecting and enhancing the most valuable and important habitats and species in England. The Government will respond to this consultation in due course. The Environment Bill will make 10 per cent net gains for biodiversity mandatory for most new developments, and also introduce Local Nature Recovery Strategies to secure enhancements through development schemes and contributions. We have also committed to review the environmental assessment process to help promote a clean, green recovery from the effects of coronavirus, and are taking this forward as part of the Planning for the Future reforms. Environmental protection will be at the heart of this review and where possible, any new framework will go further to take advantage of opportunities for environmental improvement.
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible impact the changes proposed in the Planning White Paper will have on the delivery of affordable housing.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The?proposal?to create a new Infrastructure Levy,?as set out in the?Planning for the Future?White Paper,?will?support?a more streamlined and accessible planning system. The new Levy will be designed to deliver at least as much onsite affordable housing as at present and will continue to be collected and spent at the local level, on priorities including infrastructure and affordable housing.
The consultation on the White Paper closed on 29 October. We are currently analysing the consultation responses and will publish a response in the Spring which will set out our decisions on the proposed way forward.