Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 potential merits of strengthening protection for heritage in the planning system.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government is committed to the ongoing protection of the historic environment. In our recent Planning for the Future White Paper, we have set out our intention to review and update 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: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department is providing to local authorities to help them encourage covid-19 vaccine take-up within their communities.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Local authorities and Directors of Public Health have an important role in the vaccine programme including working with the NHS to maximise uptake. MHCLG are supporting this in a number of ways: for example we are funding the £25 million Community Champions scheme in 60 local authorities, to encourage vaccine uptake and in reaching out to those communities who might be disproportionately impacted or hesitant about engaging, tackling disinformation, and supporting vulnerable people to meet appointments.
The learning from these 60 will be shared across all local authorities. We have also hosted roundtables with faith leaders to understand barriers to access for faith groups. Recognising the importance and priority status of the care sector for this programme, we have worked closely with local authorities and the national programme on a protocol for social care to ensure responsibilities for maximising uptake are well understood across the system. Ensuring access and take up across all of our communities is critical to the success of the vaccination programme and we will continue to support local authorities and Directors of Public Health in their important role.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether all tenants of houses of multiple occupation count as separate households for the purposes of forming support bubbles during the covid-19 outbreak; and what guidance on managing covid-19 infection risks his Department is providing to people in that situation.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Tenants in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) cannot act as separate households for the purpose of forming support bubbles. As set out in our guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities, all occupants of an HMO should act as a single household if one or more occupants have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). Our guidance for landlords and tenants includes guidance on steps to minimise the spread of infection, including within HMOs.
Guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 the removal of the statutory requirement to publicise planning applications in local newspapers on (a) transparency and (b) local accountability in the planning process.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Local planning authorities are required to publicise certain types of planning applications in local newspapers as set out in Article 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. In the response to coronavirus restrictions, temporary regulations have been introduced to supplement the existing statutory publicity arrangements for planning applications. Local planning authorities now have the flexibility to take other reasonable steps to publicise applications if they cannot discharge the specific requirement for, for instance, newspaper publicity, if the local newspaper is not now in circulation. These steps can include the use of social media and other electronic communications, such as local online news portals, and must be proportionate to the scale and nature of the proposed development. However, if a local planning authority is required to publicise a planning application in a local newspaper, and that paper is still in circulation, then they must continue to do so.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 publish the Accelerated Planning White Paper.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
We will be publishing an ambitious Planning White Paper in due course. This will transform the planning system so that it is more responsive, accessible and certain for all users, including home owners and small businesses.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to discourage the misuse of anti-bird netting on hedgerows and trees by housing developers.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to respond to the Yorkshire Devolution Agreement Submission in March 2018.
Answered by Jake Berry
My Rt Honourable Friend, the Secretary of State, responded on 9 July to the outline proposals for devolution to authorities within Yorkshire which 18 council leaders submitted on 5 March 2018. His response makes clear that whilst we are prepared to consider any proposals, until the Sheffield City Region devolution deal is fully implemented, the Government is not prepared to enter into any discussion about wider devolution arrangements in Yorkshire that would include some or all of the Sheffield City Region authorities. I am in informal discussions with the newly elected mayor for that City Region who is looking to work closely with us to unlock the benefits of devolution – first to implement the 2015 Sheffield City Region devolution agreement.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure continued mutual recognition of Eurocodes design and civil engineering standards for UK and EU companies and other bodies after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The Government recognises the importance of Eurocodes design and civil engineering standards in supporting a productive, open and competitive business environment. The Government has been clear that in our negotiations with the EU, the UK will seek to secure a new, deep and special partnership, with the greatest possible tariff and barrier-free trade with Europe.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that ancient woodlands and trees are protected during the construction of new housing developments.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) affords strong protection to ancient woodland, and aged or veteran trees. We acknowledged in the Housing White Paper, that this protection could be further clarified and intend to publish a draft NPPF for consultation early this year.
In the event planning permission is granted for development, the local planning authority can impose planning conditions to ensure the protection of trees and ancient woodland to be retained, in line with the policies set out in the NPPF.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the announcement of successful bids to the Government's Garden Villages programme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Barwell
We are expecting to make an announcement very shortly on the first cohort of garden villages selected for support.