Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of removing the role of elected councillors from certain planning processes under the new National Planning Policy Framework on trust in local democratic services.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied. It makes no reference whatsoever to the role of elected councillors.
In the King’s Speech, we set out our intention to use the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill to improve local planning decision making by modernising planning committees.
The government believes that planning committees have an integral role in providing local democratic oversight of planning decisions. However, in exercising that democratic oversight, it is vital that planning committees operate as
effectively as possible, focusing on those applications which require member input and not revisiting the same decisions.
Our recently published planning reform working paper on planning committees, which can be found on gov.uk here, invites views on models for a national scheme of delegation, the creation of smaller targeted planning committees specifically for strategic development, and the introduction of a mandatory requirement for training for planning committee members.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government will take with respect to councils who do not meet the targets set out in the National Policy Planning Framework, announced on 12 December 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government expects local planning authorities to explore and exhaust all options to deliver the homes their communities need.
An authority’s ability to meet their housing need through plan-making will be tested at a public examination, which will assess whether there are any justified reasons for not being able to meet a target in full.
There are two tests of whether authorities are meeting housing need: the Housing Delivery Test, which measures authorities’ delivery record over the previous three years, and the ‘five-year housing land supply’ policy, which tests whether authorities have allocated sufficient land to provide a housing pipeline.
Where authorities fail against these tests, ‘the presumption’ in favour of sustainable development kicks in. The government are clear that ‘the presumption’ cannot be a gateway to poor quality housing, and through the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December we have added new safeguards to ensure this is the case.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the reforms set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, safeguard the beauty and character of (a) Fylde constituency and (b) other rural areas.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December retains strong safeguards in relation to the beauty and character of all parts of the countryside.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the UK Shared Prosperity Funding allocation will be for Lancashire County Council for the 2024/25 tax year.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is allocated to lead local authorities (LLAs). Details of full funding allocations for LLAs for 2022-25, including allocations for Fylde Borough Council and Wyre Borough Council, can be found here.
Lancashire County Council did not directly receive a UKSPF allocation for 2022-25. However, Lancashire has benefitted from UKSPF allocations made at a district level in the area.
An annual breakdown of 2022-25 allocations for LLAs, including 2024-25, can be found in the allocation model spreadsheet here.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the UK Shared Prosperity Funding allocation will be for Wyre Borough Council for the 2024/25 tax year.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is allocated to lead local authorities (LLAs). Details of full funding allocations for LLAs for 2022-25, including allocations for Fylde Borough Council and Wyre Borough Council, can be found here.
Lancashire County Council did not directly receive a UKSPF allocation for 2022-25. However, Lancashire has benefitted from UKSPF allocations made at a district level in the area.
An annual breakdown of 2022-25 allocations for LLAs, including 2024-25, can be found in the allocation model spreadsheet here.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the UK Shared Prosperity Funding allocation will be for Fylde Borough Council for the 2024/25 tax year.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is allocated to lead local authorities (LLAs). Details of full funding allocations for LLAs for 2022-25, including allocations for Fylde Borough Council and Wyre Borough Council, can be found here.
Lancashire County Council did not directly receive a UKSPF allocation for 2022-25. However, Lancashire has benefitted from UKSPF allocations made at a district level in the area.
An annual breakdown of 2022-25 allocations for LLAs, including 2024-25, can be found in the allocation model spreadsheet here.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding is available for the redevelopment of town centres in Fylde constituency.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government will set out its long-term vision for local growth at the muti-year spending review in the Spring. This will end the approach of Local Authorities and MCAs bidding against each other for growth funds, targeting funding where it is needed most and empowering local leaders. The Government will also set out more detail on its strategy for regional growth alongside, and integrated with, plans for infrastructure, investment, and the Industrial Strategy.
This being said, Fylde Council will continue to receive the departments full support in delivering £5.8 million of Getting Building Fund which was allocated to Fylde Council to deliver the M55 Heyhouses link and improve connectivity around The Fylde coast including St Annes.
Likewise, Kirkham has received £6.3 million of Future High Street Funding towards regeneration of the town including an educational and employment skills centre.