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, with reference to the press release entitled Chancellor cuts pointless admin in nearly £6 billion business blitz, published on 21 October 2025, whether his Department has tested the (a) reliability, (b) accuracy and (c) risk of bias of AI systems for planning application reviews; and whether he plans to consult with local authorities on the adoption of these technologies.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department is actively exploring options to develop AI-enabled products to speed up public service provision, including in respect of planning services.
We are developing, and will deploy, these products responsibly, in line with guidance set out in the AI Playbook for the UK Government and clauses in the Royal Town Planning Institute’s Code of Conduct.
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, if he will take steps to simplify planning consent processes for (a) food and drink production facilities and (b) other manufacturing sites.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework already makes clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise and address the specific locational requirements of different sectors.
The government intend to consult this year on a new suite of national policies for decision making.
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, if he will publish a breakdown of how each local authority spends its share of the new £84 million homelessness support funding announced in the news release entitled £84 million injection to tackle homelessness, published on 9 October 2025.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are best placed to understand local need. Our funding provides local authorities with the flexibility to determine the most effective services to support vulnerable individuals in their areas.
You can find local authority level allocations of the £84 million announced on 10 October 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 steps he is taking to help ensure that local communities are consulted the type of shops permitted on high streets.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We want local people to work together to create thriving high streets. Through our Pride in Place Programme we are investing up to £5bn and giving communities more say over the make-up of their high streets. Alongside this, we have announced other tools such as a community right to buy to help communities take ownership of valued high street buildings, such as shops and pubs.
We have also introduced High Street Rental Auctions to bring persistent vacant units back into use. Councils are required to consult on the high street designation and have the power to exclude certain uses at auction.
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, whether guidance will be issued to Pride in Place boards on ensuring community engagement in funding decisions.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Pride in Place Programme will give 244 of the most in-need places across Great Britain up to £20m funding and support over the next decade. Communities will decide how to invest this funding, with residents, community leaders and local businesses coming together to make decisions about how this funding is spent on newly established Neighbourhood Boards. We will publish further guidance shortly which will set clear expectations for Neighbourhood Boards to involve their surrounding community in decision-making to ensure the funding delivers the change local people want to see.
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, whether his Department plans to (a) update ate the integrated communities strategy and (b) publish a revised action plan.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government has recently launched its Pride in Place strategy, which represents a significant step change in how we support communities, focusing on three overarching objectives: building stronger communities; creating thriving places; and helping communities to take back control of their own lives and areas. It represents a break from the past, a new way for government to work in partnership with communities and neighbourhoods, empowering them with the tools and levers to drive meaningful change that reflects their priorities.
The Pride in Place programme will provide up to £5bn over 10 years to support up to 244 places. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities, incorporating the existing 25 trailblazer areas announced at Spending Review and the 75 Plan for Neighbourhoods programme areas that were announced in March.
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 he has made of recent trends in the level of homelessness in (a) Lancashire and (b) Fylde constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected and we must address this and deliver long term solutions.
The Government is looking at these issues carefully and is developing a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness.
The Government publishes homelessness statistics by local authority in England on gov.uk 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 steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) improve levels of community cohesion in areas experiencing demographic change.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is leading cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues.
Our recently launched Pride in Place Strategy also announced the expansion of the Pride in Place Programme – this will provide up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade to 244 places across the UK. It focuses on three overarching objectives: building stronger communities; creating thriving places; and helping communities to take back control of their own lives and areas.
This Government also wants to ensure that all places are further supported to build cohesion and resilience, and that support is in place rapidly, as and when tensions occur. The Common Ground Resilience Fund will provide funding to local communities to insulate them against threats to social cohesion.
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, how many First Homes properties have been built; and how many are due to be built by 2030.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Up to March 2024, 395 First Homes have been delivered through Section 106 developer contributions, and a further 1,275 through the Early Delivery Programme. This totals 1,670 First Homes altogether. These figures are published in the Live tables on affordable housing supply (Table 1011) which can be found on gov.uk here.
Local authorities are not required to report First Homes delivery separately, so these figures represent the most current data available. Since the removal of the national minimum delivery requirement, local authorities now have discretion over whether to deliver First Homes, and if so, how many. This flexibility allows them to prioritise housing tenures that better meet local needs, such as Social Rent, Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership.
As a result, my Department does not hold data on future delivery and cannot provide an estimate of how many First Homes will be built by 2030. Delivery decisions rest with individual local authorities.
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 his Department is taking to ensure that neighbourhood plans are given due weight in planning decisions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Neighbourhood Plans which have passed referenda have statutory weight and form part of the development plan.
The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider doing so is in their best interests.
Neighbourhood planning groups have received over £71 million since 2013. This support has created a network of planners and groups who have the skills and expertise to prepare neighbourhood plans and to help other communities to do so.
Local planning authorities have an existing duty under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to provide advice and assistance to neighbourhood planning groups. They can also, at their discretion taking into account their constituents’ needs and priorities, provide funding in support of neighbourhood plan preparation.
As of the end of September 2025, the department was aware of c.1850 made neighbourhood plans in England. The Department is aware of 23 neighbourhood plans which have been adopted in Lancashire since 2015, of which 2 were in the Fylde constituency.