Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
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 support the construction of new homes and related infrastructure.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government continues to work closely with the construction sector to ensure that it is in a position to support the economic recovery. This support includes the work of the Construction Leadership Council’s Coronavirus Task Force, which monitors the supply of products and is working to address disruption to supply chains.
Last year, the Government worked with the industry to produce a clear and simple Charter for Safe Working Practice, and updated Site Operating Procedures have been published by the Construction Leadership Council.
MHCLG’s Secretary of State, alongside the Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation and the Chief Executive of the Federation of Masters Builders, previously wrote to the housing industry to make it clear that housebuilding, and the supply chains that support it, can continue, and that remains the case under every level of restriction
We have introduced a range of measures, such as allowing builders to seek more flexible construction site working hours with their local councils and extended certain planning permissions that would otherwise have lapsed, in order to keep the sector moving.
For infrastructure, the 2020 Spending Review confirmed an initial funding of £7.1 billion for the National Home Building Fund (NHBF) over the next four years to unlock up to 860,000 homes. The Government has also allocated £900 million through the Getting Building Fund, which will unlock up to 41,500 homes, and £1.1 billion in Local Growth Funding, which will support the unlocking of up to 89,000 homes.
Further funding for the NHBF will be confirmed at the next multi-year Spending Review, delivering on the Government’s commitment to provide £10 billion to unlock homes through provision of infrastructure.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
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 ensure projects supported under the Housing Infrastructure Fund are completed on time and to budget.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Comprehensive governance and assurance systems are in place both in my Department and at Homes England to manage delivery. Further expert support is provided by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
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 review the progress of projects supported by the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Comprehensive governance and assurance systems are in place both in my Department and at Homes England to manage delivery. Further expert support is provided by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
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 support local authorities to complete their Local Plans.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
On 19 January 2021, a Written Statement was made in the House of Commons which set out the importance of maintaining progress to get up to date local plans in place by December 2023. The Written Statement also made it clear that I would consider contacting those authorities where delays to plan-making have occurred to discuss the reasons why this has happened and actions to be undertaken. I have subsequently contacted a number of authorities where delays have occurred, and meetings are currently taking place with them in order to identify what support the Department can offer to help ensure that those areas can benefit from an up to date plan as soon as possible.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria local authorities are assessed against before his Department decides to intervene in the Local Plan process.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The local plan intervention criteria were confirmed in the 2017 Housing White Paper, and subsequently through a Written Statement in the House of Commons on 16 November 2017:
• the least progress in plan-making had been made;
• policies in plans had not been kept up to date;
• there was higher housing pressure; and
• intervention would have the greatest effect in accelerating local plan production
We also made clear that decisions on intervention would also be informed by the wider planning context in each area (specifically, the extent to which authorities are working cooperatively to put strategic plans in place, and the potential effect that not having a plan has on neighbourhood planning activity)
In August 2020, we consulted on a set of revised intervention criteria through the Planning White Paper:
• the level of housing requirement in the area;
• the planning context of the area, including any co-operation to get plans in place across local planning authority boundaries;
• any exceptional circumstances presented by the local planning authority
Consideration is currently being given to consultation responses received, and any changes to the criteria will be considered alongside the wider proposals for planning reform as set out in the White Paper.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to strengthen planning guidance on aerodromes; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Government has a clear planning policy for airfields set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. It recognises the significant contribution that aviation makes to economic growth and requires local authorities, when preparing their Local Plans, to take account of the role of airfields in meeting business, leisure, training and emergency service needs.
Planning guidance supporting the Framework makes clear to local authorities that they should consider the interconnectivity between airfields of different sizes and that they should have regard to the Aviation Policy Framework.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 111 of the National Planning Policy Framework published by his Department in March 2012, what his policy is on the development of brownfield land classified as being of high environmental value; and whether he has plans to amend paragraph 111 of the National Planning Policy Framework in order to (a) limit and (b) prohibit such development.
Answered by Lord Barwell
This Government has committed to increasing the take-up of brownfield sites for development, especially for new homes. Our National Planning Policy Framework asks local authorities to encourage re-use of brownfield sites wherever practicable, and the law now requires each local authority to maintain a register of local brownfield sites suitable for housing. However, for a brownfield site to be suitable to redevelop, it should not be of high environmental value. In the Government’s view, this policy is clear to decision-makers, and we see no reason to amend the Framework, or to limit the freedom of local communities to judge how to apply national policy to the facts of particular cases.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to reclassify the status of airfields to greenfield under planning regulations.
Answered by Lord Barwell
It is our National Planning Policy Framework, not regulation, that defines brownfield. This states clearly that, if a site is brownfield, it should not be assumed that the whole curtilage should be developed. Whilst this Government is keen to ensure the re-use of brownfield sites that are not of high environmental value, especially for new homes, it would be for the local authority to decide whether an airfield should be retained for general aviation; whether a site, or part of a site, is suitable for redevelopment; and whether former airfield land should be retained for uses such as nature conservation, recreation or agriculture.
The local authority should have regard to all relevant policies in the National Planning Policy Framework including, where relevant, the policy for airports and airfields (that are not subject to a separate national policy statement) which expects local planning authorities to take account of their growth and role in serving business, leisure, training and emergency needs.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to exempt publicly-owned special protection and conservation areas from any future public land disposal.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The National Planning Policy Framework seeks to promote sustainable development. The Government encourages and supports innovative ways to deliver the homes this country needs, while protecting and enhancing the natural environment through legislation and policy. We have no plans to exempt publicly-owned special protection and conservation areas from any future public land disposal.
We announced in the Housing White Paper, published on 7 February, a new and strategic approach to the habitat management of the great crested newt. This will not only protect a rare species and its habitat, but will safeguard development from delays, costs and uncertainty. We also announced our proposal to clarify national planning policy on ancient woodland and aged or veteran trees. This reflects the need to protect these irreplaceable habitats from harmful development.
Asked by: Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative - Rochester and Strood)
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 deliver nature-friendly housing developments.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The National Planning Policy Framework seeks to promote sustainable development. The Government encourages and supports innovative ways to deliver the homes this country needs, while protecting and enhancing the natural environment through legislation and policy. We have no plans to exempt publicly-owned special protection and conservation areas from any future public land disposal.
We announced in the Housing White Paper, published on 7 February, a new and strategic approach to the habitat management of the great crested newt. This will not only protect a rare species and its habitat, but will safeguard development from delays, costs and uncertainty. We also announced our proposal to clarify national planning policy on ancient woodland and aged or veteran trees. This reflects the need to protect these irreplaceable habitats from harmful development.