Housing and Planning Bill

Debate between Baroness Laing of Elderslie and Maria Miller

Tuesday 5th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con)]

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Mrs Eleanor Laing)]

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

New clause 2—Duty to meet the resilience objective—

‘(1) The Secretary of State and planning authorities in exercising and performing the powers and functions conferred or imposed by the provisions in Part 1 (New homes in England) and Part 6 (Planning in England) of this Act shall exercise or perform them in the manner which he or they consider is best calculated to further the resilience objective at subsection (2).

(2) The resilience objective is—

(a) to secure the long-term resilience of housing developments as regards environmental pressures, population growth and changes in consumer behaviour, with particular regard to water supply management, sewerage management, flood risk mitigation and waste disposal, and

(b) to secure steps for the purpose of meeting, in the long term, the need for sustainable homes and communities, including by promoting—

(i) appropriate long-term planning and investment by relevant parties, and

(ii) the taking of measures by the relevant parties to manage resource use in sustainable ways, to achieve sustainable management of water, and to increase resource efficiency so as to reduce pressure on the natural environment.

(3) In this section, “relevant parties” includes—

(a) relevant undertakers, including licence holders and authorised suppliers, as provided in the Gas Act 1986, the Electricity Act 1989 and the Water Industries Act 1991; and

(b) individuals and bodies corporate who are seeking planning permission in order to build houses.”

This new Clause would provide a statutory duty on the Secretary of State and local authorities to secure and promote the resilience of housing and other development.

Amendment 31, in clause 1, page 1, line 6, after “promote”, insert

“new homes across all tenures, including”.

The amendment would change the purpose of the Bill to one that would enable the supply of more housing across all tenures rather than just starter homes.

Amendment 32, in page 1, line 7, at end insert

“and the infrastructure needed to support such developments”.

The amendment would ensure that additional housing is supported with adequate infrastructure.

Amendment 33, in page 1, line 12, leave out

“at a discount of at least 20% of the market value” and insert “at a price no higher than is affordable to a household receiving the median local household income, with affordability to be determined by the local authority.”

The amendment would ensure that starter homes are affordable at locally-determined rates of income.

Amendment 34, in clause 2, page 1, line 15, at end insert—

‘( ) is not to be sold to buy-to-let investors”.

The amendment would exclude “Buy to Let Property ” from the definition of starter home.

Amendment 35, in page 1, line 15, at end insert—

‘( ) is built on under-used or unviable brownfield sites not currently identified for housing on public and private land, as determined by the local authority.”

The amendment would limit starter homes to ‘exception sites’, as previously announced by the Government.

Amendment 37, in page 2, line 10, at end insert—

“(d) lives or works locally, with the definition of local to be defined by the local authority or the Greater London Authority in London.”

The amendment would ensure that a proportion of starter homes are available to local people.

Amendment 38, in page 2, line 22, after “State”, insert

“after consultation with the relevant local authority or local authorities and the Mayor of London.”

The amendment would provide that the price cap can only be amended after consultation with the relevant local authorities and the Mayor of London.

Amendment 39, in page 2, line 25, at end insert—

‘(8A) The restrictions on resales and letting at open market value relating to first time buyer starter homes must be in perpetuity.”

The amendment would require the discount to remain in perpetuity.

Amendment 1, in clause 3, page 2, line 28, after “starter homes” insert

“or alternative affordable home ownership products, such as rent to buy”.

This amendment would ensure that new developments provide a mix of affordable home ownership products for first time buyers, to further widen opportunities for home ownership.

Amendment 110, in page 2, line 28, after “starter homes” insert

“and other types of affordable housing”.

This amendment would ensure that new developments include a range of affordable housing options, to rent and buy.

Amendment 40, in page 2, line 28, at end insert

“except where the local authority considers that providing starter homes would prevent other types of affordable housing being built.”

The amendment would enable local authorities to be able to ask for planning gain measures that provide for a range of affordable homes other than starter homes.

Amendment 41, in clause 4, page 3, line 13, at end insert

“and which has been subject to a full assessment of the need for starter homes in the relevant local authority area.”

The amendment would ensure that priority is not given to the provision of starter homes in a given area before a full assessment of the number of such homes needed has taken place.

Amendment 42, in page 3, line 18, at end insert—

“The regulations may provide that sites can be exempted from the requirement to promote starter homes where a site has a scheme that—

(a) is a “build to rent” scheme;

(b) contains supported housing for younger people, older people, people with special needs and people with disabilities;

(c) contains a homeless hostel;

(d) contains refuge accommodation; or

(e) contains specialist housing.”

The amendment would remove sites from the starter homes requirement where other types of affordable housing has already been planned for.

Amendment 43, in clause 5, page 3, line 31, at end insert

“which must be displayed on the authority’s website and updated annually, contain information on all types of affordable housing, and include information that starter homes remain to be sold at 20% below market value.”

The amendment would require local planning authorities to report on their functions in respect of starter homes, affordable housing more generally, and that starter homes remain to be sold below market value annually and to publish the report.

Amendment 44, in page 3, line 40, at end insert

“and to demonstrate that the land in question is not needed for employment, retail, leisure, industrial or distribution use.”

The amendment would empower the Secretary of State to require data on the extent to which land used for starter homes was not needed for employment, retail, leisure, industrial or distribution use.

Amendment 45, page 4, line 1, leave out clause 6.

The amendment would remove Clause 6 from the Bill.

Amendment 2, in clause 6, page 4, line 4, after “starter homes” insert

“or alternative affordable home ownership products such as rent to buy”.

This amendment would ensure that new developments provide a mix of affordable home ownership products for first time buyers, to further widen opportunities for home ownership.

Amendment 46, in clause 8, page 5, line 36, at end insert “and without unreasonable cost.”

The amendment would prevent local authorities having to bring forward sites that are deemed to be at an unreasonable cost.

[Mrs Miller]

I am sure that new clause 1 will be well worth the wait. I take this opportunity to thank the Clerks of the House for their expert help in drafting the new clause.

The new clause will ensure that the Bill does exactly what the Minister wants it to do. It will ensure that every starter home is top-quality and is inspected and built in accordance with existing house building quality processes and standards, and that the records that are already made at key points in the building process are available to new homeowners in order to increase transparency and drive up the quality of the new homes in which the Government are investing.

I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport (Oliver Colvile) for his support, and in particular for his diligent chairmanship of the all-party parliamentary group for excellence in the built environment. In the APPG, we are working together on a formal inquiry into house-building standards, which involves a detailed evidence-led scrutiny of the problems that need to be dealt with.