Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of development on grassland habitats that could be considered irreplaceable habitats under the National Planning Policy Framework that took place each year from 2015 to 2022.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Government does not record planning decisions nationally, this is recorded locally by local planning authorities. However, the National Planning Policy Framework affords strong protection to important habitats, and is explicit that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists. Local planning authorities will need to take this into account when making their local plans and in decision making.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of development on semi-natural grassland that took place each year from 2015 to 2022.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Government does not record planning decisions nationally, this is recorded locally by local planning authorities. However, the National Planning Policy Framework affords strong protection to important habitats, and is explicit that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists. Local planning authorities will need to take this into account when making their local plans and in decision making.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (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 encourage innovation in building safety technologies.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government’s priority is to ensure that all higher-risk buildings are safe. It is important that industry takes advantage of innovative technologies that can support better building safety. The Construction Playbook sets out the Government’s support for innovation including digital technologies and modern methods of construction. New technology and innovation have improved productivity, quality and choice across a range of sectors and the Government wants to see the same happen in housing. We are committed to creating a dynamic market for innovative technologies in the UK to enable the development and use of effective new technologies.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took, if any, to ensure that guidance for rural proofing as set out in the Annual Rural Proofing Report 2020, published on 26 March 2021, was followed in the preparation and publication of the Levelling Up White Paper.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Chapter One of the Levelling Up White Paper sets out UK-wide analysis of a range of economic measures. This includes recognising the particular challenges and strengths of rural communities, such as high local belonging and connectedness, but lower connectivity, skills and productive capital. The Government is committed to ensuring that places across the UK, including rural communities, benefit from increased opportunity and investment as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper. The forthcoming Annual Report on Rural Proofing will focus more specifically on levelling up in rural areas.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prevent new homes from being built with a lower standard than Energy Performance Certificate band B.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Improving the energy efficiency of all our buildings to reduce carbon emissions is a key part of reaching our net zero target and new build is an area where we can and must maintain momentum.
From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will ensure that new homes are future-proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency to produce at least 75 per cent lower CO2 emissions compared to those built to current standards, which represents a considerable improvement in energy efficiency standards of new homes.
This year we will introduce an interim uplift to the energy efficiency standards that delivers a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions and provides a stepping-stone to the Future Homes Standard in 2025. This uplift will be expected to produce 31 per cent less CO2 emissions compared to current standards. This will deliver high-quality homes that are in line with our broader housing commitments and encourage homes that are future-proofed for the longer-term.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new homes that have an energy efficiency rating below EPC band C were built in each of the last three years; and what steps they are taking, or intend to take, to ensure that in all new homes are built with at least an EPC band C rating.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The number of new homes, including change of use or the conversion of existing properties, that have an energy efficiency rating below EPC band C built, in each of the last three calendar years for which published figures are available, are; 14,772 in 2019, 15,264 in 2018 and 11,168 in 2017.
From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will ensure that new homes are future-proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency to produce at least 75 per cent lower CO2 emissions compared to those built to current standards, which represents a considerable improvement in energy efficiency standards of new homes.
This year we will introduce an interim uplift to the energy efficiency standards that delivers a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions and provides a stepping-stone to the Future Homes Standard in 2025. This uplift will be expected to produce 31 per cent less CO2 emissions compared to current standards. This will deliver high-quality homes that are in line with our broader housing commitments and encourage homes that are future-proofed for the longer-term.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Clean Growth Strategy, published on 12 October 2017, what plans they have to ensure that social housing is brought up to the same energy standards, over a similar timetable, to that proposed for the private rented sector.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In the Charter for Social Housing Residents – Social Housing White Paper published on 17 November 2020, we committed to review the Decent Homes Standard. We will ensure that the Decent Homes review considers how it can work to support better energy efficiency and the decarbonisation of social homes.
At the Chancellor’s summer economic update, the Government announced a £50 million demonstrator project to start the decarbonisation of social housing during 2020/21. This will encourage innovation and help inform the design of the future Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
At the Spending Review 2020, The Chancellor announced £60 million of further funding for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, to continue upgrading the least efficient social housing.
The Prime Minister announced an extension to the Green Homes Grant which social landlords are eligible to bid for. This will fund up to two thirds of the cost of hiring tradespeople to upgrade the energy performance of homes.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 16 September (HL7638), what assessment they have made of the letter sent by the Rural Services Network to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 18 August which stated that the definition of “designated rural areas” in section 157 of the Housing Act 1985 and subsequently used in their consultation Changes to the current planning system, published on 6 August, does not apply to 70 per cent of smaller rural communities.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government is currently consulting on this matter and will take all responses to the consultation into consideration.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (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 percentage of small rural communities that do not meet the “designated rural areas” definition in section 157 of the 1985 Housing Act used in the consultation Changes to the current planning system, published on 6 August.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
National planning policy makes it clear that in rural areas, housing development that reflects local needs should be supported, and that affordable housing can be sought for residential developments that are not major developments in designated rural areas. Our consultation on changes to the current planning system does not propose to change this overall approach. To aid small and medium-sized (SME) builders through economic recovery, we are consulting on a proposal to increase the current threshold at which affordable housing contributions can be collected on new developments. The higher threshold will only be in place for a time limited period, and will not apply to designated rural areas. By raising the threshold, we are ensuring that sites that may not have been developed due to viability issues will now go ahead creating the homes our country needs. The Government has not set out a definition of small rural communities in national planning policy, but is keen to work with rural stakeholders as part of the consultation.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish details (1) of all consultations relating to, and (2) in regard to the operation of, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government has committed to creating the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as the successor to EU structural funds. The fund will bind together the whole of the United Kingdom, tackling inequality and deprivation in each of our four nations. The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Government officials have held 25 engagement events across the UK, attended by over 500 representatives from a breadth of sectors, which has helped inform progress on policy design. The Government looks forward to continuing to work closely with partners as we develop the fund. Final decisions on the allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be taken after a cross-government Spending Review.