Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many new-build properties in Gravesham were allocated to each of the Council Tax Bands for the last 12 months for which data is available.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Estimates of new-build properties delivered in Gravesham in each year, are shown in Live Table 123, at the following link.
The Department does not centrally collect figures on the allocation of new-build properties by Council Tax Band. This information may be held locally by Gravesham district authority.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason the new standard method for assessing local housing need uses a house price to workplace-based earnings ratio rather than a house price to residence-based earnings ratio.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The consultation on changes to the current planning system set out the elements we want to balance when determining local housing need, including meeting our target of building 300,000 homes, tackling affordability challenges in the places people most want to live, regenerating brownfield sites, and renewing and levelling up our towns and cities.
The affordability adjustment used in the proposed standard method is based on the median house price to workplace-based earnings ratio, published annually by the Office for National Statistics. The house price to workplace-based earnings ratio compares the median salary earned in a local authority against the median house price in that same authority area. We have consulted on each element of the indicative formula, including affordability, and are considering carefully how they work together to achieve an appropriate distribution.
The proposals were out for consultation until 1 October 2020. Following consideration of the consultation responses received, the Government will publish a response.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment he has made of the effect of using a (a) house price to workplace-based earnings ratio and (b) house price to residence-based earnings ratio on the assessed local housing need of towns where people commute to work in nearby cities.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The consultation on changes to the current planning system set out the elements we want to balance when determining local housing need, including meeting our target of building 300,000 homes, tackling affordability challenges in the places people most want to live, regenerating brownfield sites, and renewing and levelling up our towns and cities.
The affordability adjustment used in the proposed standard method is based on the median house price to workplace-based earnings ratio, published annually by the Office for National Statistics. The house price to workplace-based earnings ratio compares the median salary earned in a local authority against the median house price in that same authority area. We have consulted on each element of the indicative formula, including affordability, and are considering carefully how they work together to achieve an appropriate distribution.
The proposals were out for consultation until 1 October 2020. Following consideration of the consultation responses received, the Government will publish a response.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how the drop off rate between permissions and completions will be calculated in the new standard method for assessing local housing need as part of the Government's proposed changes to the current planning system.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We committed to reviewing the current formula for local housing need at this year’s budget and the proposals were out for consultation from 6 August until 1 October 2020.
Not all homes that are planned for are built, and the consultation noted that there is a drop off rate between permissions and completions. As part of the Planning for the Future consultation, we confirmed we will explore further options to support faster build out, as we develop our proposals for the new planning system.
Following consideration of the consultation responses received, the Government will publish a response. The response will set out any decisions and any associated proposed implementation.
Asked by: Adam Holloway (Conservative - Gravesham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what powers the Government would have under the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework to compel local councils to fulfil their objectively assessed housing need in areas where there is insufficient or inadequate infrastructure to support development.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The draft National Planning Policy Framework set out that local authorities should, as a minimum, provide for objectively assessed needs for housing and other development in plans. These plans would be tested by an independent Planning Inspector at the plan examination.
The council will also need to ensure there is sufficient infrastructure available to accommodate proposals bought forward in their plan, this will also be tested at examination to determine whether the plan is effective and can be delivered.
The consultation on the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework closed on the 10 May and we are considering the comments received. We aim to publish the new version of the National Planning Policy Framework in the Summer.