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 wastewater capacity in Fylde constituency for planned housing developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 57582 on 26 June 2025.
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 recent steps her Department has taken to improve consumer protections for (a) pricing transparency, (b) fair valuation practices and (c) the treatment of homeowners during resale transactions for residential park home buyers .
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mobile Homes Act 1983 sets out the contractual obligations for park home residents and site owners and the processes for buying and selling park homes. The Act also bans the use of certain site rules including those which prevent a resident from marketing or selling their home. If a site owner breaches the legislation or fails to meet any of their obligations, a resident has a right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a determination.
Additional protections for consumers purchasing goods and services are set out in consumer rights legislation. We are also continuing to support park home residents with free independent advice about their rights and how to enforce them, through the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.
The government is committed to improving the standards of park home site management and supporting local authorities to ensure site managers are fit and proper persons. We will continue to keep the effectiveness of relevant regulations under review.
We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
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 she has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of current regulations on residential park home site operators to ensure the (a) equitable treatment and (b) protection of residents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mobile Homes Act 1983 sets out the contractual obligations for park home residents and site owners and the processes for buying and selling park homes. The Act also bans the use of certain site rules including those which prevent a resident from marketing or selling their home. If a site owner breaches the legislation or fails to meet any of their obligations, a resident has a right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a determination.
Additional protections for consumers purchasing goods and services are set out in consumer rights legislation. We are also continuing to support park home residents with free independent advice about their rights and how to enforce them, through the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.
The government is committed to improving the standards of park home site management and supporting local authorities to ensure site managers are fit and proper persons. We will continue to keep the effectiveness of relevant regulations under review.
We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
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 she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of existing consumer protections of residential park home owners.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mobile Homes Act 1983 sets out the contractual obligations for park home residents and site owners and the processes for buying and selling park homes. The Act also bans the use of certain site rules including those which prevent a resident from marketing or selling their home. If a site owner breaches the legislation or fails to meet any of their obligations, a resident has a right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a determination.
Additional protections for consumers purchasing goods and services are set out in consumer rights legislation. We are also continuing to support park home residents with free independent advice about their rights and how to enforce them, through the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.
The government is committed to improving the standards of park home site management and supporting local authorities to ensure site managers are fit and proper persons. We will continue to keep the effectiveness of relevant regulations under review.
We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
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 she will commission a review of the (a) fairness, (b) transparency and (c) compliance with consumer protection standards of the (i) resale, (ii) marketing and (iii) contractual arrangement practices of residential park home site operators.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mobile Homes Act 1983 sets out the contractual obligations for park home residents and site owners and the processes for buying and selling park homes. The Act also bans the use of certain site rules including those which prevent a resident from marketing or selling their home. If a site owner breaches the legislation or fails to meet any of their obligations, a resident has a right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a determination.
Additional protections for consumers purchasing goods and services are set out in consumer rights legislation. We are also continuing to support park home residents with free independent advice about their rights and how to enforce them, through the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.
The government is committed to improving the standards of park home site management and supporting local authorities to ensure site managers are fit and proper persons. We will continue to keep the effectiveness of relevant regulations under review.
We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
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 encourage the use of swift bricks in newbuild homes in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) in Lancashire.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity, including by incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats and hedgehogs.
As part of our work to develop a set of national policies for decision making, the government has committed to consulting on changes which would require swift bricks to be incorporated into new buildings unless there are compelling reasons which preclude their use, or which would make them ineffective.
As an interim step ahead of the consultation, my Department published updated Planning Practice Guidance setting out how swift bricks are expected to be used in new development. This outlines that developments should include swift bricks where possible, with the general aim across a development of a minimum of one nest box per unit.
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 National Housing Bank will take to ensure that housing developments are equitably distributed across different regions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 June 2025 (HCWS712).
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 help ensure the continuation of core funding to (a) Fylde council and (b) other rural councils during the transition from the Rural Services Delivery Grant to the Recovery Grant.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government took the difficult decision to end the Rural Services Delivery Grant as it did not properly account for need and a large number of predominantly rural councils received nothing from it.
In 2025-26, places with a significant rural population are receiving almost a 6% increase in their Core Spending Power compared to the previous year, which is a real terms increase.
The government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. We are currently consulting on reforming the local government funding system via gov.uk The Fair Funding Review 2.0 and invite views and supporting evidence on this issue and beyond.
Our updated assessment of need will more effectively capture variations in demand for services within a local authority. We are also proposing to continue to apply Area Cost Adjustments to account for the different costs faced in delivering services, including in rural and urban areas. This includes a new proposal to consider the remoteness of an area alongside its accessibility.
We will ensure our approach is informed by the latest data and evidence and are inviting views and supporting evidence from the sector and the public on this approach.
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 to support age-adapted housing developments in (a) rural and (b) semi-rural constituencies with high numbers of retired residents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible and enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market, including retirement or sheltered housing.
The Affordable Homes Programme for 2021-26 includes delivery of supported housing, including for older people, across the country. At the Spending Review the Chancellor announced £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36;
Funding is available through the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to support eligible older and disabled people, including in rural and semi-rural constituencies, to adapt their homes. The government awarded an £86 million in-year uplift to the DFG for 2024-25, bringing the total funding for 2024-25 to £711 million. We are also providing £711 million for 2025-26.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Rural Housing Enabler programme provides grant funding to ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) to deliver and manage a network of independent advisors who work with communities to develop affordable housing schemes across rural England. The advisors help identify suitable development opportunities in communities, and support site owners and community representatives to navigate the planning system and create developments that meet the needs of local people.
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 eligibility for the Rural Services Delivery Grant takes into account sparsely populated rural areas.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government took the difficult decision to end the Rural Services Delivery Grant as it did not properly account for need and a large number of predominantly rural councils received nothing from it.
In 2025-26, places with a significant rural population are receiving almost a 6% increase in their Core Spending Power compared to the previous year, which is a real terms increase.
The government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. We are currently consulting on reforming the local government funding system via gov.uk The Fair Funding Review 2.0 and invite views and supporting evidence on this issue and beyond.
Our updated assessment of need will more effectively capture variations in demand for services within a local authority. We are also proposing to continue to apply Area Cost Adjustments to account for the different costs faced in delivering services, including in rural and urban areas. This includes a new proposal to consider the remoteness of an area alongside its accessibility.
We will ensure our approach is informed by the latest data and evidence and are inviting views and supporting evidence from the sector and the public on this approach.