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 estimate he has made of how many starter homes the Government's starter home scheme will deliver by 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Government is committed to its manifesto pledge to build starter homes to help young first- time buyers into home ownership. We have made strong progress on delivery, through the Housing and Planning Act, planning reforms, and working through the Homes and Communities Agency to deliver the first starter homes. We are working on a White Paper to set out our future plans for housing, including starter homes.
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 estimate his Department has made of the number of housing development sites which were previously seen as financially unviable that may now be developed under the Starter Home initiative.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Department does not hold this information. The Housing and Planning Bill and national planning policy changes will set the framework to deliver our starter homes commitment; and once in force will apply to all housing development planning applications. Section 106 agreements may of course be re-negotiated at any time by mutual consent. Planning guidance is clear that local planning authorities should be flexible in their requirements, taking into account site specific circumstances and changing circumstances, including regarding viability.
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 assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Starter Home scheme on the level of home ownership among people under 40 years of age.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Over the last twenty years, the proportion of under 40 year olds who own their home has fallen by over a third from 61% to 38%, and the average house price to earnings ratio for successful first time buyers is now 4.3 compared to 2.7 in 1993.
The Government is determined to change this and ensure that more young people can afford to buy their own home. That’s why we are committed to building 200,000 starter homes to provide affordable homes for purchase with a minimum 20% discount for first-time buyers under the age of 40.
Starter homes are an important innovation to improve the level of home ownership in this age category.
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 guidance his Department plans to provide to housing association tenants on the right to buy after Royal Assent to the Housing and Planning Bill.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government runs a Right to Buy website which provides comprehensive information for interested tenants (https://righttobuy.gov.uk). This was recently updated with information about the voluntary Right to Buy pilot scheme. In addition, the Government’s official Right to Buy Agent service provides free, impartial advice to tenants interested in understanding and taking up the existing right to buy products. We are working closely with the National Housing Federation on the guidance available to housing association tenants under the voluntary right to buy agreement with the sector, and would look to ensure it is published before the roll out of the main scheme.
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, whether any expressions of interest have been received from neighbourhood planning groups for small-scale sites consisting of starter homes to be included in their neighbourhood plans.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Department does not hold this information.
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, whether requirements for starter homes will be retrospectively placed on developments which have received planning permission but are not yet built.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Requirements for starter homes will not be placed retrospectively on developments that have received planning permission.
Section 106 agreements may of course be renegotiated at any time by mutual consent. Planning guidance is clear that local planning authorities should be flexible in their requirements, taking into account site specific circumstances and changing circumstances.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Communities and Local Government, on Brownfield Land, Official Report, column 742, when further details of the £1 billion brownfield regeneration fund will be announced; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
We announced at the Autumn Statement that the Government is supporting development on brownfield land through a £2 billion Long Term Housing Development Fund to unlock housing development for up to 160,000 homes. This funding will support our key manifesto commitments to create a Brownfield Regeneration Fund and to fund Housing Zones to transform brownfield sites into new housing. At least half of the Long Term Fund will be spent on brownfield projects. The Housing Development Fund will be formally launched in the New Year.
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 steps he is taking to improve public accountability of the Local Government Ombudsman.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Local Government Ombudsman is independent of both Government and local authorities as regards their determination of specific cases but is accountable to Parliament for the performance of the Local Government Ombudsman service and is statutorily required to lay before Parliament its annual report and accounts.
In addition the Communities and Local Government Committee have held inquiries into the service's work which has involved the Local Government Ombudsman giving evidence before the Committee.
In the Queen's Speech, the Government announced that it would publish a draft Bill creating a single Public Service Ombudsman in this Parliamentary session. In establishing such a Public Services Ombudsman which will improve redress when things go wrong, the Government would put arrangements in place to ensure that there is clear and transparent accountability for this new Ombudsman service.
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, with reference to the report entitled Green Belt Under Development by Glenigan Constructing Insight, dated August 2014, what assessment he has made of the causes of the changes in the number of planning approvals on the green belt over the last five years.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Most planning approvals in Green Belt are non-residential, many in support of agriculture. National planning policy makes clear that most forms of development in Green Belt are inappropriate. Local planning authorities, in consultation with local communities, are in charge of protecting their Green Belt in line with policy in the National Planning Policy Framework. If inappropriate development is proposed, the local planning authority has to determine whether the harm to the Green Belt, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, and whether there are very special circumstances to justify planning permission.
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, if he will take steps to enable planning fees to be levied more flexibly so that the revenue raised from applications more adequately reflects the diverse workloads they generate.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government have no plans to make changes to planning fees at present, but will keep the level of charges under review.