Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much agricultural land has been converted for solar panel use in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Weald of Kent constituency in the last 10 years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government places great importance upon our agricultural land and food production.
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise the benefits of the Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land (land in grades 1, 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) system).
Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.
As of the end of September 2024, ground-mounted solar PV panels covered an estimated 21,200 hectares. This amounts to around 0.1% of the land area of the UK.
The government does not hold information on the number of ground-mounted solar projects that have been permitted and built on different agricultural grades, or the number of acres of grade 1 and 2 land which has been built on since 2020.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of her Department’s proposed 1.5 million homes will be built in rural areas.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes a new Standard Method for assessing housing needs that is aligned to our Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new safe and decent homes in England by the end of this Parliament.
The standard method provides a starting point for local councils to inform the preparation of their local plans. The indicative annual housing need figures for all local authorities under the new standard method can be found on gov.uk here.
Whilst the standard method is used to identify the total number of homes needed in an area, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that it is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of homes needed for different groups in the community and reflect this in planning policies.
The revised NPPF is clear that in rural areas, planning policies and decisions should be responsive to local circumstances. This includes ensuring that housing is located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made with the Secretary of State for Transport of the potential impact of suspending the Rural Services Delivery Grant on transport services in rural areas.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash-terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced and can be used by local authorities on local priorities, including transport spending.
On average, places with a significant rural population will receive almost a 6% increase in their Core Spending Power next year, and no council will see a reduction in their Core Spending Power.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much agricultural land her Department plans to compulsorily purchase in (a) Kent and (b) Weald of Kent constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has no plans to compulsorily purchase land in Kent or in the Weald of Kent constituency.