Asked by: Lord Stunell (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 (1) the number of low-rise homes in England clad in flammable Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride panels, (2) emerging acute fire risks, as evidenced by the fire at Moss Hall Grove in the London Borough of Barnet, and (3) the funding of appropriate remedial action.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We are aware of the action being taken by Barnet Council and continue to engage closely with them on the steps they are taking, following the Moss Hall Grove fire in June 2023. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is aware and is keeping the situation under review, in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act to keep the safety and standards of all buildings under review.
The department will continue to liaise with the BSR and Local Authorities as appropriate to determine whether further action is necessary.
Local authorities, including Barnet Council, are responsible for keeping the housing conditions in their area under review with a view to identifying any action that may need to be taken by them. Local authorities have a longstanding duty where they are building owners to manage building safety and performance risks of all kinds in their buildings, and should continue to do so in a proportionate, risk-based, and evidence-based manner.
Local authorities are also responsible for managing their own budgets and delivering on their responsibilities. This includes their duty as building owners to assess their buildings and keep them safe, and to take any enforcement action they deem necessary.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (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 (1) the number of building control officers fully accredited to deliver the new building safety regime when it comes into effect on 1 April, and (2) the capacity of such building control officers to fully enforce that regime across each relevant local authority from that date.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 16272 on 5 March 2024.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government which local authorities (1) made only bids to Levelling Up Fund Rounds 1 and 2 that were unsuccessful, and (2) made no bids to either round.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
Over the lifetime of the Levelling Up Fund £4.8 billion has been invested into 271 projects across Great Britain.
For both rounds 1 and 2, all local authorities were eligible to bid for funding. We received 305 bids in round 1 of the Fund, and 529 in round 2. A list of successful bids has been published for each of the three rounds on gov.uk, as well as analysis on the geographic and thematic split of successful and unsuccessful bids in rounds 1 and 2.
Successful Round 1 bidders: Link
Successful Round 2 bidders: Link
Round’s 1 and 2 geographic and thematic analysis: Link
Further details of the objectives and decision-making process are set out in published methodology notes for each round.
Round 1 methodology note: Link
Round 2 methodology note: Link
Round 3 methodology note: Link
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that construction product standards are upheld until the National Regulator for Construction Products is established; and what assessment they have made of progress in improving those standards in line with the recommendations of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
As of April 2021, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is responsible for the regulation of construction products. The regulator is undertaking enforcement activity under the current Construction Products Regulations 2013, funded by the department. In July 2022, the department further extended existing enforcement powers, enabling OPSS to act on behalf of the Secretary of State as the national enforcement authority, overseeing compliance where there are existing designated standards.
The department is also looking to lay future secondary legislation (to be made under the Building Safety Act 2022) which will give OPSS access to broader powers to intervene in the sector.
To examine how the system for testing the safety of construction should be strengthened, the department commissioned an independent review into weaknesses in the existing testing regime. This report has recently been published, and the department is working with the two regulators (OPSS and HSE) to take its recommendations forward.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what factors have led to the delay in establishing the National Regulator for Construction Products since it was announced by the Office of Product Safety and Standards on 14 January 2022; and what steps they are taking to bring about its establishment.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
As of April 2021, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is responsible for the regulation of construction products. The regulator is undertaking enforcement activity under the current Construction Products Regulations 2013, funded by the department. In July 2022, the department further extended existing enforcement powers, enabling OPSS to act on behalf of the Secretary of State as the national enforcement authority, overseeing compliance where there are existing designated standards.
The department is also looking to lay future secondary legislation (to be made under the Building Safety Act 2022) which will give OPSS access to broader powers to intervene in the sector.
To examine how the system for testing the safety of construction should be strengthened, the department commissioned an independent review into weaknesses in the existing testing regime. This report has recently been published, and the department is working with the two regulators (OPSS and HSE) to take its recommendations forward.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to speed up the notification of the results of bids to the Levelling Up Fund; and what assessment they have made of the delay of the establishment of Marple Leisure and Community Hub in Stockport Borough.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
All bids submitted to the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, including the Marple Leisure and Community Hub in Stockport Borough, have been assessed following the robust process set out in published guidance.
I appreciate that applicants, if successful, will want to begin work on their projects as soon as possible. We have notified applicants and MPs that having received such a high number of quality applications, the announcement has been delayed until the New Year to allow us to allocate additional funds - meaning up to £2.1 billion will be granted to successful bids in this round. We will therefore announce the results of the second round by the end of January 2023.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council on 1 April 2023 and the related extension of existing councillors' terms, what plans they have, if any, to legislate to allow electors of Marston Moor Ward at Harrogate Borough Council to vote for a representative ahead of the North Yorkshire Unitary election.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
We are aware that since the end of January there has been a vacancy in this ward.
The North Yorkshire (Structural Changes) Order 2022 cancelled the ordinary elections in May 2022 in Harrogate.
My officials are discussing with Harrogate’s officers what the implications are for representation in this ward for Harrogate Borough council.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the next biennial report to Parliament required by Section 6 of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Since the last parliamentary report, the Government has made significant progress in improving the environmental sustainability of the built environment. In December 2021, the Government implemented an uplift to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations that delivers a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions and marks an important step on our journey towards a cleaner, greener built environment.
The Heat and Buildings Strategy sets out the further steps we will take to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and decarbonise heating, including a Future Homes Standard in 2025, and the Net Zero Strategy has set out our vision for a decarbonised economy in 2050.
We will publish, in due course, a new report setting out the details of these changes to the Building Regulations and all other matters set out in Section 6 of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many neighbourhood plans are now in force; and where there are neighbourhood plans, how many additional homes in aggregate have been granted approval compared to the pre-existing local and district plans.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
While we do not formally monitor the production of neighbourhood plans, our records suggest that over 1000 neighbourhood plans have been adopted (made) since 2011. We do not hold data on how many additional homes in aggregate have been granted approval compared to current local plans. A recent study by the University of Reading of 141 neighbourhood plans found that they allocated 18,000 additional homes above those already allocated in adopted or emerging local plans and on sites with planning permission.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (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 local communities retain the ability to establish a new neighbourhood plan in accordance with the principles established in the Localism Act 2011.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The white paper “Planning for the Future” sets out a package of proposals to secure better outcomes in terms of land for homes, beauty, and environmental quality, as well as processes which give greater certainty and speed for communities, councils and developers. The Government remains committed to neighbourhood planning, and the white paper sets out our intention to retain neighbourhood plans as part of the planning system. The consultation on these proposals is now closed and we will be using the feedback we have received to develop future neighbourhood planning policy.