Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what type of heating system is the primary source of heating in each building occupied by his Department and its agencies; and what fuel is used by those heating systems.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Department's estate is managed by the Government Property Agency and we do not hold this data. The Government Property Agency will be looking at decarbonising the Estate, as part of their wider work of their strategic asset management planning.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 137 of the National Planning Policy Framework, if he will provide guidance to Rossendale Borough Council on ensuring that all other sources of Housing and Employment Land supply have been exhausted before resorting to the release of land from the Green Belt in that organisation's Local Plan.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
It is for the local authority to consider, and consult locally on, development plan policies that establish where the boundary of its Green Belt, or any development boundary of a settlement, should run. The Secretary of State appoints independent planning inspectors to assess the soundness of any revised plan submitted.
The Government revised the National Planning Policy Framework in 2018, clarifying the exceptional circumstances test for local authorities who are proposing altering the Green Belt boundary through the local plan process. Local authorities need to demonstrate that all other reasonable options for meeting identified development needs have been examined, including those criteria given in paragraph 137, and will need to consider all available evidence and local circumstances in making this assessment.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will issue guidance to (a) Rossendale Borough Council and (b) other local authorities on the release of land from the Green Belt in a Local Plan under paragraph 137 of the national planning policy framework.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government revised the National Planning Policy Framework in 2018, clarifying the exceptional circumstances test for local authorities who are proposing altering the Green Belt boundary through the local plan process. Local authorities need to demonstrate that all other reasonable options for meeting identified development needs have been examined, including those criteria given in paragraph 137, and will need to consider all available evidence and local circumstances in making this assessment.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will ask the Planning Inspectorate to clarify the exceptional circumstances that justify changes to green belt boundaries in the local plan creation process.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government revised the National Planning Policy Framework in 2018, clarifying the exceptional circumstances test for local authorities who are proposing altering the Green Belt boundary through their local plan. Local authorities need to demonstrate that all other reasonable options for meeting identified development needs have been examined, including those criteria given in paragraph 137, and will need to consider all available evidence and local circumstances in making this assessment.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what reasonable steps should be taken by a local authority to ascertain the supply of land available for housing as part of the local plan creation process.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
It is essential for Local Planning Authorities to have up-to-date Local Plans, which provide a vision for their area and identify a supply of deliverable sites to address housing needs.
Each Local Planning Authority should establish the land available for housing in its area by undertaking a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, this is set out in paragraph 67 of the National Planning Policy Framework, and more detailed Guidance is provided within the National Planning Practice Guidance website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration should be made by the Planning Inspectorate of emerging neighbourhood plans during the examination phase of local plan creation.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
During the examination phase, the role of a Planning Inspector is to assess whether the local plan has been prepared in line with the relevant legal requirements, and whether it meets the tests of ‘soundness’ contained in the National Planning Policy Framework. An emerging neighbourhood plan and the evidence that underpins that plan, can be considered by the inspector where relevant to the preparation of the local plan. Government planning guidance makes clear that it is important for local plans to make appropriate reference to neighbourhood plan policies or proposals.