Growth and Infrastructure Bill

Debate between Lord Pickles and Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

Tuesday 16th April 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

Obviously we will provide the information when the regulations are laid. That is normal Government procedure.

Having poured praise on my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park—

[Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

[Mr Pickles]

I must!

[Zac Goldsmith]

I stand by the words that my right hon. Friend quoted so eloquently earlier. There are certainly ways in which we could simplify the planning system; I do not think anyone disputes that. However, given that 90% of applications are already successful, surely removing people’s right to object will simply guarantee that the remaining 10%—the most contentious, un-neighbourly, antisocial developments—proceed as well, causing unnecessary conflict between neighbours.

[Mr Pickles]

I think that it would be best for my hon. Friend to wait until the omelette has started to settle. He may care to cross-examine me further then.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Pickles]

Of course, I am cut to the quick by my right hon. Friend’s remarks. She does not need to rely on my persuasion, however, because no matter what happens the issue will come back to this House for consideration.

[Zac Goldsmith]

I thank my right hon. Friend for giving way and welcome his decision to rethink the policy, but given that Lord True’s amendment is modest, it is hard to know what further compromise the Government might accept. Will the Secretary of State provide greater clarity about what he is proposing before we are asked to vote?

[Mr Pickles]

Considering that I quoted a good page and a half from an excellent document that is, I hope, still in print, I am not entirely sure that the Dispatch Box is the right forum from which to attempt to negotiate the consensus I seek. My hon. Friend has absolutely nothing to lose. He will be involved in the discussions and we will seek to try to reach a sensible compromise. If he does not like it, he can go into the other Lobby and say that he was right all along.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Pickles and Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

Monday 28th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

I am sure my hon. Friend has done more than enough to demonstrate to the people of Wales the desirability of transparency. It is gratifying that every local authority, with the exception of Labour-controlled Nottingham, now trusts the local population with that vital information.

[Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

First, I commend the work of my officials, led by the chief fire and rescue adviser, who have been working closely with the West Midlands fire and rescue service which is leading the co-ordination, search and rescue efforts following the earthquake in Christchurch. Our thoughts are with the people of New Zealand at this difficult time.

Increased transparency and accountability have been the key tasks of Ministers in recent weeks. We have introduced honesty into the rough sleeper counts. New counting methods reveal that rough sleeping was four times higher than Labour Ministers admitted, with councils such as Labour-run Manchester refusing to report any figures. The plight of the vulnerable will no longer be ignored by the Government. We are also giving local citizens the right to report their local council chamber by blogging, tweeting and online filming. This builds on Margaret Thatcher’s private Member’s Bill in 1960 and the right granted in a local government Act in 1908. It is Liberal Democrat and Conservative local government that is championing openness in government.

[Zac Goldsmith]

I welcome the principle behind the new homes bonus, but if the level is set too high or if local authorities become too dependent on it, could it not become a perverse incentive for overdevelopment?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Pickles and Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

Thursday 10th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park) (Con)]

1. If he will bring forward proposals to increase the powers of local authorities to prevent infill and garden development.

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

Further to the coalition agreement—

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Pickles]

Further to the coalition agreement, the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), who has responsibilities for decentralisation and planning, gave notice to the House that we are changing planning guidance and that we have taken back gardens out of the definition of brownfield land. In addition, we have removed density requirements. The matter is now for local people to decide.

[Zac Goldsmith]

I should like to take this opportunity to congratulate my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on his welcome return to the Communities and Local Government brief. I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend the Minister, not only for his recent work in developing the Government’s ambitious low-carbon economy programme, but for his long-term battle to give communities the power they need to stand up for themselves against inappropriate development.

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for his answer, but will he reassure the House and my constituents that he intends to repeal perverse rules that prevent local councillors from standing up for their constituents—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am sorry, but I must now cut off the hon. Gentleman. From now on, questions and answers must be briefer.