Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many listed buildings have been granted an exemption from obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing such a statutory exemption for listed buildings to protect their historic value.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Department does not hold information on how many listed buildings have been granted an exemption from obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate. Therefore, we have not made an assessment of the potential merits of providing a statutory exemption for listed buildings to protect their historic value.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to reduce the planning burdens of installing electric car charging points in listed homes.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government is fully committed to encouraging homeowners to incorporate energy efficiency measures in their properties in order to tackle climate change. As part of this, we recognise the need to ensure that more historic buildings are able to be adapted to support our zero carbon objectives.
In our recently published White Paper, Planning for the Future, we have therefore committed to reviewing and updating the planning framework for listed buildings and conservation areas, to ensure their significance is conserved while allowing, where appropriate, sympathetic changes to support their continued use and address climate change.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to exempt public conveniences owned or managed by (a) parish and (b) town councils from national non-domestic rates.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
The Government recognises the importance of public toilets as a valuable community amenity and encourages local authorities to keep them open to the public. We are keeping under review the need for any further action to support local authorities, including parish and town councils, in doing so.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2018 to Question 116503, whether the revised National Planning Policy Framework to include new development will take account of culture, history and tradition where noise nuisance complaints are made about the continued ringing of church bells and chimes by residents living within developments that have changed in use such as where a house has been converted to a Bed and Breakfast.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The revised National Planning Policy Framework will clearly set out that the developer or ‘agent of change’ should be responsible for mitigating noise impacts and other potential nuisances arising from existing businesses and other organisations, such as churches when locating new development or changing uses nearby. However, noise nuisance complaints in existing developments are not handled through the planning system. They are subject to the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and other relevant law.
We are committed to working across government to further strengthen the ‘agent of change’ principle in policy and guidance.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2018 to Question 116503, whether the revised National Planning Policy Framework to include new developments will take account of culture, history and tradition where noise nuisance complaints are made about the continued ringing of church bells and chimes by residents living within existing developments.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The revised National Planning Policy Framework will clearly set out that the developer or ‘agent of change’ should be responsible for mitigating noise impacts and other potential nuisances arising from existing businesses and other organisations, such as churches when locating new development or changing uses nearby. However, noise nuisance complaints in existing developments are not handled through the planning system. They are subject to the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and other relevant law.
We are committed to working across government to further strengthen the ‘agent of change’ principle in policy and guidance.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to answer Question 116503, tabled on 29 November 2017.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The question [116503] was answered on 15 January 2018 with the answer:
We are standing up for England’s churches. National planning policy already sets out that businesses should not have unreasonable restrictions put on them because of changes in nearby land uses since they were established.
We are minded to amend the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to give greater emphasis to this matter, by setting out that planning policies and decisions should take account of existing businesses and other organisations, such as churches, community pubs and music venues, when locating new development nearby.
We consulted on proposals for this as part of the Housing White Paper published on 7 February 2017 and we intend to publish a revised draft NPPF for consultation as early as possible in 2018. At that stage we will host a round-table with representatives from the sector to invite their input into this important matter.
We continue to work with other departments, to ensure local authorities support existing businesses, organisations or activities that are an integral part of local communities, at the same time as supporting new housing and local growth.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken within planning and other guidance to local authorities to support the continued ringing of church bells and traditional chimes.
Answered by Dominic Raab
We are standing up for England’s churches. National planning policy already sets out that businesses should not have unreasonable restrictions put on them because of changes in nearby land uses since they were established.
We are minded to amend the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to give greater emphasis to this matter, by setting out that planning policies and decisions should take account of existing businesses and other organisations, such as churches, community pubs and music venues, when locating new development nearby.
We consulted on proposals for this as part of the Housing White Paper published on 7 February 2017 and we intend to publish a revised draft NPPF for consultation as early as possible in 2018. At that stage we will host a round-table with representatives from the sector to invite their input into this important matter.
We continue to work with other departments, to ensure local authorities support existing businesses, organisations or activities that are an integral part of local communities, at the same time as supporting new housing and local growth.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people received assistance from the Government's Help to Buy scheme in South Thanet in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Barwell
In the parliamentary constituency of South Thanet, the number of households who have purchased homes through Help to Buy schemes are:
Help to Buy: Equity Loan: 22 (from scheme launch in April 2013 to September 2016);
Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee: 164 (from scheme launch in October 2013 to September 2016);
Help to Buy: ISA: 41 (from scheme launch in December 2015 to September 2016);
Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee and Help to Buy: ISA are the responsibility of HM Treasury;
The Government does not publish an annual breakdown of scheme completions by parliamentary constituency.
The Government publishes cumulative totals on a quarterly basis by parliamentary constituency:
Help to Buy: Equity Loan http://opendatacommunities.org/def/concept/folders/themes/housing-market
Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics
Help to Buy: ISA https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/official-statistics-on-the-help-to-buy-isa-scheme
The Government publishes cumulative totals on a quarterly basis by local authority for:
Help to Buy: Equity Loan https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-equity-loan-and-newbuy-statistics
Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics
Help to Buy: ISA https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-isa-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2015-to-30-september-2016
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many empty properties were brought back into use as affordable housing by the Empty Homes programme; and if he will introduce a similarly-operating scheme to that programme.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Coalition Government set a new direction in tackling empty homes and property to ensure their value and opportunity was realised. It provided £216 million direct funding to local authorities, registered providers and community groups between 2012- 2015 and 9,044 homes were created from empty property. Of these 5,722 homes were brought back into use as affordable housing. The remaining 3,322 were brought back to use in line with local demand and the requirements of the neighbourhood as part of the Clusters of Empty Homes Programme.
This funding was intended to provide a push in the right direction, we have no plans to provide more. The Government has achieved a year on year reduction in long-term empty homes and the number of homes that stand empty for more than six months is now at its lowest level since records began.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was collected from local authorities at all tiers from non-domestic property tax levied on public conveniences in each of the last three years.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
My Department does not collect that data.