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Written Question
Parks: Environment Protection
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's timescales are for (a) publishing the tender documents for the licenses for the Green Flag awards and (b) awarding those licenses.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities owned Green Flag Awards Scheme, currently operated under licence by Keep Britain Tidy, sets the national standard for public green spaces and encourages local authorities and other public landowners to ensure parks and green spaces are welcoming, safe, well-maintained and promote biodiversity and community participation.

We will provide further updates about the licensing scheme shortly.


Written Question
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Expenditure
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2023, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a freeze on his Department's expenditure on the (a) provision of council services, (b) level council tax collected and (c) likelihood of section 114 notices being issued.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government published the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 on 18 December. It makes available up to £64.1 billion to local authorities in England. This is an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £3.9 billion or 6.5% in cash terms on 2023-24.

We are considering responses to a consultation on the Provisional Settlement, ahead of publishing the Final Settlement, which we will do very shortly. Once published, this will be subject to debate and the approval of the House.

Provision of local services, the level of council tax, and the issuing of s114 notices are all, ultimately, local matters for local authorities to decide for themselves. However, we stand ready to speak to any council that has concerns about its ability to manage its finances or faces pressures for which it has not planned.


Written Question
Planning Permission: Urban Areas
Tuesday 9th January 2024

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to The Minister for Housing, Planning and Building Safety's oral statement on Long-term Plan for Housing on 19 December 2023, Official report, whether he plans to take steps to ensure the urban uplift within the National Planning Policy Framework meets the housing needs of each urban area.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

To support the effective and efficient use of land and densification within our towns and cities the standard method urban uplift increases local housing need in our 20 most populated urban areas by 35%. The uplift is designed to ensure that the standard method is consistent with our aim to deliver 300,000 homes a year. It also helps maximise use of existing infrastructure and our wider objectives of regenerating brownfield sites, renewal and levelling up.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (December 2023) is clear that where the urban uplift applies it should be met by those cities and urban centres concerned rather than exported to surrounding areas, except where there is voluntary cross-boundary agreement to do so, or where this would conflict with other policies in the Framework.


Written Question
Development Plans: Aarhus Convention
Friday 23rd June 2023

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provisions on National Development Management Policies of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill on the UK's obligations under Article (a) 6 and (b) 7 of the Aarhus Convention.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Government remains committed to the Aarhus Convention and its requirements for public participation in decision making relating to the environment. The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill will improve opportunities for public involvement in planning by making procedures more accessible and digital, while maintaining opportunities to comment on plans and planning applications. National Development Management Policies will also be subject to appropriate and any necessary consultation before they are introduced.


Written Question
Regional Planning and Development: Aarhus Convention
Thursday 22nd June 2023

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provisions of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill on the UK's obligations under Article (a) 6 and (b) 7 of the Aarhus Convention.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Government remains committed to the Aarhus Convention and its requirements for public participation in decision making relating to the environment. The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill will improve opportunities for public involvement in planning by making procedures more accessible and digital, while maintaining opportunities to comment on plans and planning applications. National Development Management Policies will also be subject to appropriate and any necessary consultation before they are introduced.


Written Question
Disabled Facilities Grants
Thursday 27th April 2023

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to increase the maximum amount that can be awarded through the Disabled Facility Grant in the context of the rise of the cost of materials and labour.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 180284 on 24 April 2023.


Written Question
Music Venues: Planning
Thursday 23rd March 2023

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to help protect grassroots music venues through the planning system.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Government is supportive of ensuring that existing facilities, including music venues, do not have unreasonable restrictions put on them because of changes in their area due to new developments. That is why the National Planning Policy Framework includes the 'agent of change' principle. This sets out that planning policies and decisions should ensure that new development can be integrated effectively with existing business and community facilities. This policy includes a specific mention of music venues.

The Government continues to engage with the sector on how local music and cultural venues can be protected through our wider reforms to planning policy.


Written Question
Culture: Planning
Thursday 23rd March 2023

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of incorporating the agent of change principle in future legislative proposals on planning issues.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Government is supportive of ensuring that existing facilities, including music venues, do not have unreasonable restrictions put on them because of changes in their area due to new developments. That is why the National Planning Policy Framework includes the 'agent of change' principle. This sets out that planning policies and decisions should ensure that new development can be integrated effectively with existing business and community facilities. This policy includes a specific mention of music venues.

The Government continues to engage with the sector on how local music and cultural venues can be protected through our wider reforms to planning policy.


Written Question
Music Venues: Planning
Thursday 23rd March 2023

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory right of comment for grassroots music venues on planning applications.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Government is supportive of ensuring that existing facilities, including music venues, do not have unreasonable restrictions put on them because of changes in their area due to new developments. That is why the National Planning Policy Framework includes the 'agent of change' principle. This sets out that planning policies and decisions should ensure that new development can be integrated effectively with existing business and community facilities. This policy includes a specific mention of music venues.

The Government continues to engage with the sector on how local music and cultural venues can be protected through our wider reforms to planning policy.


Written Question
Buildings: Fire Prevention
Tuesday 14th February 2023

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the (a) number of timber fire doors and (b) size of the timber fire door manufacturing sector; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Department welcomes the views of industry on all the measures proposed in our December 2022 consultation, including on testing capacity and transition periods for the proposed changes. In this consultation we are proposing to remove the national classification from Approved Document B and utilise the more robust and up to date internationally recognised standard. During the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the use of the national classification system came under scrutiny, and flaws in its use were presented in the oral expert evidence. The BS 476 series standards have not been reviewed by the British Standards Institution in detail for some time (over 20 years on average). In addition, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower and following an investigation by the Department several issues were highlighted with the consistency of fire resistance performance of some fire doors.

Upon completion of the public consultation, and subsequent analysis of the responses, the department will publish, alongside the government response, a full regulatory impact assessment which will include a detailed assessment of the impacts of the changes to the guidance. This assessment will be informed by the responses to the consultation and the evidence provided.