Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what impact assessments his Department has undertaken on the effect of the Government's proposed changes to planning on the preservation of Green Belt.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government will continue to protect the Green Belt in line with our manifesto commitment. The new method for calculating local housing need introduced last year and reforms to the planning system through the Planning Bill will not change national planning policy on the protection of Green Belt. Local communities will still use local plan policies to establish and protect their Green Belts, and the National Planning Policy Framework will remain a material consideration. The Government has also made clear that local authorities should consider local constraints, such as Green Belt, in the process of planning for new homes.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the preservation of the Green Belt of increased housing targets in the Government's proposed changes to planning.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government will continue to protect the Green Belt in line with our manifesto commitment. The new method for calculating local housing need introduced last year and reforms to the planning system through the Planning Bill will not change national planning policy on the protection of Green Belt. Local communities will still use local plan policies to establish and protect their Green Belts, and the National Planning Policy Framework will remain a material consideration. The Government has also made clear that local authorities should consider local constraints, such as Green Belt, in the process of planning for new homes.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of construction developments in the Ivers on (a) biodiversity and (b) local wildlife welfare.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We do not centrally hold information on the potential effect of individual developments. The potential effects of developments are to be considered by local planning authorities as part of the plan-making and decision-taking process. Our partners in local government have the requisite local knowledge that allows them to make the best decisions for their own areas when it comes to development.
The Government has pledged that this generation will leave the natural environment in a better state than when we inherited it. To contribute towards this goal, the Environment Bill will legislate for mandatory 10% biodiversity net gain as a condition of most new development. Ensuring new development leads to more nature, not less, the Government will additionally legislate to introduce biodiversity net gain for new Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects in England through an amendment to the Environment Bill.
The reformed planning system will continue to protect the places of environmental and cultural value which matter to us. In line with the ambitions in our 25 Year Environment Plan, we want the reformed system to play a proactive role in promoting environmental recovery and long-term sustainability.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
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 ensure that (a) golf courses and (b) other naturally covid secure environments will be accessible under the tier system after the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown ends.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
As the Prime Minister set out on 23 November, the current national restrictions are due to end on Wednesday 2 December and gyms and the wider leisure sector, including golf courses and tennis clubs, can reopen across all tiers.
Parks, sports courses and gardens will be open, and organised outdoor sport and physical activity will be allowed under all tiers. For areas in Tier 3 contact activities should be avoided.
Government has produced guidance for owners or operators on managing such facilities.
There are different restrictions with respect to meeting others in an indoor or outdoor setting dependent on which tier an area is in. Owners, operators and the public should consult the latest information on gatherings.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
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 guarantee protection of Green Belt land in future legislation.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government continues to prioritise protection for Green Belt. The reforms put forward in our White Paper Planning for the Future made clear that local authorities would need to categorise Green Belt as a protected area in the proposed new planning system.
The protections for the Green Belt set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, and the strong encouragement to prioritise re-use of suitable brownfield land, will remain in place, in line with our manifesto commitments.
The White Paper consultation closed on 29 October 2020 and we are currently considering the responses received. The Government will publish a response which will set out any decisions and associated proposed implementation.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to protect (a) Beaconsfield and (b) similarly located constituencies from encroachment and urban sprawl.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government continues to prioritise protection for Green Belt. The reforms put forward in our White Paper Planning for the Future made clear that local authorities would need to categorise Green Belt as a protected area in the proposed new planning system.
The protections for the Green Belt set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, and the strong encouragement to prioritise re-use of suitable brownfield land, will remain in place, in line with our manifesto commitments.
The White Paper consultation closed on 29 October 2020 and we are currently considering the responses received. The Government will publish a response which will set out any decisions and associated proposed implementation.