Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 potential merits of granting additional protections to (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees in planning policy.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are already strictly protected in national planning policy, while Tree Preservation orders safeguard individual trees or groups of trees of particular value. Local planning authorities have the principal responsibility for applying these protections effectively.
We keep policy in this and other areas under review, working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Defra recently completed a review on the implementation of national planning policy for protecting ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Tree Protection Order regime in protecting (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are already strictly protected in national planning policy, while Tree Preservation orders safeguard individual trees or groups of trees of particular value. Local planning authorities have the principal responsibility for applying these protections effectively.
We keep policy in this and other areas under review, working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Defra recently completed a review on the implementation of national planning policy for protecting ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees in place-making for (i) large-scale new towns and (ii) urban extensions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to delivering a new generation of new towns. We have made clear these must be well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live and that they must have all the infrastructure, amenities and services necessary to sustain thriving communities.
In addition to making recommendations to ministers regarding appropriate locations, we have tasked the New Towns Taskforce chaired by Sir Michael Lyons with advising on a ‘New Towns Prospectus’ – standards that developers must meet in these new settlements (covering social and affordable homes, design, transport links to towns and city centres, public transport, green spaces). The Taskforce’s full terms of reference can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much she expects the non-Council Tax element of the core spending power of (a) Central Bedfordshire Council and (b) Bedford Borough Council to increase in 2025/26.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government published a policy statement on 28 November 2024 that confirmed that local government will receive an around 3.2% real-terms increase overall in Core Spending Power as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement 2025-26.
We will set out more detail at the provisional Settlement in December where we will consult on allocations for 2025-26, alongside launching a consultation on the objectives and principles of local government funding reform.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what changes she expects to make to governance arrangements in Bedfordshire through the English Devolution White Paper.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In July, the Deputy Prime Minister invited places without devolution agreements, including Bedfordshire, to come forward and submit devolution proposals for their areas. This process closed in September and the government is now working closely with local leaders and stakeholders to review these proposals. The upcoming English Devolution White Paper will set out further detail on this government’s ambitions, including the benefits that can be gained through the establishment of combined authorities and combined county authorities over sensible economic geographies and supported by a mayor.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much she expects (a) Central Bedfordshire Council and (b) Bedford Borough Council to increase council tax in 2025/26.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Council tax levels are decided by each council. The local government finance policy statement 2025 to 2026 proposed a core council tax referendum limit of up to 3% and an adult social care precept of 2% for all local authorities responsible for adult social care services, including Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council. The policy statement is available here.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 take steps to ensure that local planning authorities use the Environment Agency’s forthcoming NaFRA2 data.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
National planning policy and guidance expects flood risk assessments to consider all sources of flooding, and to take the most up-to-date information into account, which will include the Environment Agency’s forthcoming NaFRA2 data.
During the course of next year, the Environment Agency is expected to publish new national risk information for flooding and coastal erosion that will be used to inform these assessments.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 require local authorities to refer planning decisions where the Environment Agency objects for a call in.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local planning authorities are currently required to refer certain planning applications where they are minded to grant planning permission. Such applications include proposals for major development in a flood risk area to which the Environment Agency has made an objection that it has not been able to withdraw. Full details are set out in the Town And Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2024.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 merits of reforming the planning system to introduce new measures to help reduce flood risk.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the devastating impact which flooding can have on communities, and the role the planning system plays in directing development to areas of lowest possible flood risk. National planning policy is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided. In the recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we sought views on how the planning system can be more effective in managing flood risk. The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 30 July 2024, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing beauty as a requirement on support for new housing developments by local communities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to building more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes and places. There is a clear framework through policy and guidance on how to achieve well-designed places and the principles of good design are set out in the National Model Design Code, as referenced in the National Planning Policy Framework.
In our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we were clear that well designed and beautiful development is important as part of the overarching objectives of the planning system and to achieve sustainable development.
However, we proposed to remove a few of the ‘beauty’ and ‘beautiful’ references in the Framework where they may result in inconsistency in how it is applied in decision-making, as many find the term subjective and difficult to define.