Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
What steps he is taking to reform planning rules in England.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We are transforming the planning system, through recently announced changes and our proposals for ambitious long-term reforms.
Our White Paper, published in August 2020, proposed comprehensive reform of the planning system.
We have also published changes to calculating local housing need, to enable more homes to come forward where we need them most, and a National Model Design Code, which will drive up the quality of new development.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the legal status of a neighbourhood plan that has reached referendum stage but the vote has not taken place due to covid-19 social distancing rules; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The delay to referendums will be frustrating for communities that have dedicated significant time and effort to the neighbourhood planning process and naturally want their plans to come into force as soon as possible. With this in mind, Government planning guidance ( https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neighbourhood-planning--2#covid-19 ) was updated in May to set out that neighbourhood plans awaiting referendums can be given significant weight in decision-making.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
What steps he is taking to reform the planning system in England.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Our seven-decade old planning system is in need of an overhaul, and we will shortly be publishing a planning Policy Paper in the summer setting out our proposals for comprehensive reform.
These reforms will deliver more high-quality, well-designed homes, and beautiful and greener communities for people to live in.
Alongside this we continue to create new planning freedoms to support the high street and create new homes – including new Permitted Development Rights and Use Class Order reform.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will state the total funds received by the Homes England from redemption of equity loans in each year since 2015 for which figures are available.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Capital receipts from the repayment of equity loans for each year from 2015/16 is as follows:
Year | Help to Buy | Other Legacy Home Equity Schemes | Total Proceeds |
17/18 | £490,177 | £79,661 | £569,838 |
16/17 | £262,438 | £81,984 | £344,442 |
15/16 | £101,663 | £82,600 | £184,263 |
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the total estimated net present value was of all outstanding equity loan advances in UK residential property held by the Homes England on the latest date for which information is available.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The fair value of equity loans held by Homes England at 31 March 2018 is as follows:
Help to Buy | £8,134,304 |
Other Legacy Home Equity Schemes | £334,939 |
Total | £8,649,243 |
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
What plans his Department has to support local authorities in the delivery of services.
Answered by James Brokenshire
In addition to the Funding Settlement, we provide grant aid to support councils with improvement and realising further efficiencies.
We have also launched a Digital Innovation Fund, with 57 councils benefiting, and Suffolk partnering successful three bids.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to extend the Community Housing Fund beyond 2020.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Community Housing Fund is currently scheduled to close on 31 March 2020 – the end of the current Spending Review period. Decisions on funding for 2020-21 onwards are a matter for the Spending Review, which will take place this year.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce the time it takes to complete a new Neighbourhood Plan.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
Statutory neighbourhood planning time periods were introduced in October 2016 to speed up the neighbourhood planning process. The 2017 Neighbourhood Planning Act ensures that plans local people have created, come into force following a successful referendum. The starting point for determining planning applications up to eight weeks earlier.
These reforms also make it quicker and easier for communities to update their plans. The Government’s new £23 million support programme (2018-2022) will provide the resources and expertise that communities may need to plan for the future of their areas. Support includes grants for communities and professional planning advice on issues like housing and design.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average time it takes to complete a new Neighbourhood Plan.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The time taken to produce a neighbourhood plan will depend on its complexity and the resources available within a community. We do not formally monitor the production of neighbourhood plans. We have introduced reforms since October 2016 to speed up the stages of neighbourhood plan-making.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many English planning authorities do not have an adequate five year land supply.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The National Planning Policy Framework requires local planning authorities to identify a supply of deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years worth of housing against their housing requirements. Most areas produce an annual assessment of their position in five year land supply but this position may alter throughout the year as a result of market conditions and challenge at appeal.
The Housing White Paper included a proposal to offer greater certainty to local planning authorities, developers and communities by enabling authorities to consult with key stakeholders and agree their housing land supply with the Planning Inspectorate. This would then be fixed for a one-year period.