Council Housing

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Westminster Hall

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure, Sir Jeremy, to serve under your chairmanship. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North East Hertfordshire (Chris Hinchliff) on securing this important debate.

If we track the history of council housing in Amber Valley, we see a story that I fear will sound all too familiar to other Members from across the House. It is a story of decline, neglect and short-sighted political choices, the consequences of which are still being felt today. In 1985, there were more than 5,000 council houses in Amber Valley. By 2003, just one remained. Why was that? During the period between 1985 and 2003, a Conservative-led borough council sold off virtually the entire stock. Make no mistake—it was not because the need for affordable housing had disappeared nor did it represent some great act of financial prudence. To add insult to injury, it is estimated that those houses were sold off to private ownership for only a ninth of their market value. Assets that had been built up over generations, which were paid for by local people and intended to provide secure and affordable homes, were effectively given away.

When Labour took control of the borough council in 2023, it inherited not only a shortage of council homes but the legacy of decades in which the council’s capacity to deliver new homes had been hollowed out. It was not just the housing stock that was gone. As a result, the first task facing the new Labour-led borough council was to rebuild the council’s ability to build homes. It had to restore confidence, capacity and the mechanisms to deliver, before bricks could be laid and properties acquired. Council officers have reskilled themselves admirably, and since 2023, 32 council houses have been acquired, with plans to deliver a further 33 in the pipeline. Those numbers sound modest, but they represent the hard work of rebuilding a housing programme from almost nothing.

More importantly, the council is now in a position to look beyond individual acquisitions towards larger-scale regeneration and house building. After years of stagnation, Amber Valley has adopted a local plan for the first time in two decades. It includes proposals that could deliver up to 180 new council homes on land around Aldreds Lane, and the council is also working closely with the East Midlands Mayor, Claire Ward, to unlock brownfield sites for future development. There is real momentum now. A Labour-led council has begun rebuilding the stock it had lost.

With that in mind, will the Minister outline what support the Government will provide to councils such as Amber Valley that have demonstrated the ambition and the capacity to deliver new council housing, and will he outline how the Government will help authorities to scale up those ambitions so that more families can access the homes that they need?

High Streets: Amber Valley

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

Monday 12th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

There are few occasions in this place when Members universally agree, but recognising the importance of town centres to our communities is one such occasion. That is why I am pleased to bring forward this debate, and why I am glad that the Government are prioritising high street regeneration. The sad truth is that successive Governments have overseen the managed decline of high streets in former industrial and mining towns such as mine. My constituents are fed up with it, and so am I.

I recently conducted a high-streets survey in my three towns of Alfreton, Heanor and Ripley. The results echoed what I hear time and again on the doorstep: residents are frustrated by high streets they describe as “run down”, “untidy”, “drab” and “unloved”. Many respondents felt that there were too many gambling shops, barbers and vape shops, and not enough of the businesses that help to create vibrant town centres, such as clothes shops, restaurants, chemists, greengrocers, children’s activity centres, farm shops and, in particular, independent local businesses.

The Minister will be pleased to know that my constituents also proposed solutions to these issues: stronger measures to allow them to take over empty or derelict buildings; measures that equip small businesses to compete on a level playing field against big multinationals; reductions in business rates; crackdowns on unlawful business; measures to encourage variety and competition; increased pedestrianised areas; requirements for shopfronts to be cleaned up, repainted and repaired; and of course the famous one—free parking in the town centres.

From my side, I am partnering with local business leaders to set up an Alfreton town centre taskforce, and I am working with Ripley Trader’s Association and Heanor Vision to discuss how we can address those concerns and implement some of my constituents’ ideas. I would be grateful if the Minister could address those ideas in his remarks and outline the very welcome steps that I know he is taking to tackle some of these persistent issues.

The Government’s commitment to giving communities the powers and resources that they need to drive this change forward is welcome. It builds on the excellent work of my town and parish councils, including the beautiful flower displays that bring pride and colour to our high streets in Amber Valley, but civic pride alone cannot undo years of neglect. Successive Governments have overlooked former industrial towns and left the east midlands facing an estimated £11.4 billion investment gap. Amber Valley needs meaningful investment to modernise our high streets and ensure that they are not just more attractive, but sustainable for the future.

Last night, my youngest son and I went to the cinema to see “The Uprising”, a film that I would highly recommend. In Amber Valley, the real uprising took place in 1817, when men left Pentrich village in what became the last armed uprising in England, driven by a feeling of being overlooked and taken for granted. Nearly a century later, fed-up miners at Alfreton colliery led the national coal strike of 1912, helping to secure the first minimum wage for coalminers. Those defining moments are still commemorated on information boards and in our town centres at Ripley’s fish and chip shop and Alfreton’s Moot Bar.

Why, Madam Deputy Speaker, do I recount those events this evening? Because the people of Amber Valley still feel that our communities are overlooked—not for lack of ambition, effort or ideas, but because investment has too often gone elsewhere. The determination to turn things around is clear. Our borough council, town and parish councils, businesses and community groups have devised projects that can create jobs, strengthen our town centres and grow the local economy. I will champion them every step of the way, but they need investment to become a reality. Let me turn to some of them now.

First, as the Minister will be well aware, I have been pressing for Government funding to support the borough in delivering an ambitious regeneration of Alfreton town centre. The vision is of a revamped pedestrianised area around Institute Lane, outside seating in Severn Square, and a lively daytime and night-time offering. The potential of this was brought home to me recently, when I was lucky enough to be invited to Alfreton Town football club to meet some of the brilliant volunteers who keep the club running. If my club, Everton, is the “people’s club”, then Alfreton Town FC should certainly be known as the community’s club. The atmosphere, players, volunteers, staff and fans were phenomenal, and I came away in awe of them and their sense of togetherness. As I travelled home, I reflected on how a revitalised town centre could become an integral part of the matchday experience: people could have breakfast at the Naughty But Nice café before kick-off, celebrate a victory in Severn Square, or warm up over a coffee with Dominique at the Hive Lounge after a cold winter’s match. I hope the Minister will outline the support and investment that the Government can provide to bring that project to life. It would make a tangible difference to my constituents, and would show that Amber Valley’s future is worth investing in.

A second project I am supporting is the regeneration of the Premier Electric theatre in Somercotes. Built in 1912, it has served as a theatre, cinema and bingo hall, but after many years, it stands empty and decaying. However, its potential remains enormous. With the right support, it could once again provide a home for local theatre, live music, cinema screenings, and arts activities. It could become a hub for community life and a catalyst for regeneration. Somercotes parish council and Save the Premier community group deserve great credit for developing that vision. However, as a planning application that seeks permission to demolish the building is due to be considered in the coming months, time is short. The immediate priority is securing £21,000 for a feasibility study to assess the building’s future and unlock access to larger funding streams. I say gently to the Minister that if there is £21,000 to be found down the back of the green Benches this evening, it could make all the difference. For Whitehall, it is a modest sum; for Somercotes, it could determine whether a valued part of our community’s heritage is preserved or lost forever.

In a similar vein, there is a project in Heanor that I have discussed with the Minister. Amber Valley borough council brought forward an ambitious vision for the regeneration of Heanor town centre, but that vision had to be scaled back when funding from the previous Government fell significantly short of what was required. Rather than abandon the project altogether, the borough adapted, contributed £1 million of council resources, and ensured that regeneration could still proceed. The result is a transformed marketplace, and the beautiful restoration of the historic grammar school building. The overall project, however, remains unfinished. The borough council still owns the adjacent science block, which was originally intended to be transformed into a cinema. Crucially, that cinema would have generated the revenue needed to cover the running costs and long-term maintenance of the grammar. Instead, the science block remains vacant and derelict, standing as an ugly reminder of the gap between what the community expected and what could ultimately be delivered.

I know that some people in Heanor are angry, and I understand why. They were presented with a bold vision for their town, including extensive community use of the grammar, but when the funding was reduced and the science block regeneration could not proceed, the income stream that would have sustained the grammar was lost. As a result, difficult decisions had to be made. To secure the future of the building, a substantial proportion of the grammar is now to be occupied by a long-term tenant, whose rental income will safeguard this important heritage asset for generations to come. That is a sensible and responsible solution, but it is not the outcome that residents were initially led to expect, and it means the degree of community usage is more limited than was originally envisaged.

I am angry too—not at Amber Valley borough council, which did everything possible to save the project, nor at those who have made difficult but necessary decisions to secure the building’s future. I am angry that a community with ambition, a credible plan and strong local support was forced to accept a diminished version of its vision because the funding required to deliver it was cut by the last Government. I am angry that local people were left with a restored building, but without the fully realised community asset that they expected. I am angry that the council was forced to choose between scrapping part of the vision or risking losing it altogether.

However, we now have an opportunity to put that right. Heanor is exactly the kind of place the newly announced derelict buildings fund was created to help. The borough council owns the building; the plans exist; the local support is there; the need is clear. Like my son and I, families have to travel outside of Amber Valley to see films, because there is not a single cinema in the three towns in the constituency. What is required now is the investment to bring the science block back into use, complete the regeneration of the site and finally deliver the full potential that the people of Heanor deserve. I ask the Minister: how can communities access the derelict buildings fund or similar support? And what will he do to ensure that places that have too often been overlooked, like Amber Valley, are prioritised for investment?

As the Minister is aware, the recent closure of Denby Pottery, which had operated in my constituency for over 200 years, has caused a significant economic shock, with the loss of 350 jobs in the constituency and the loss of around 250,000 visitors a year to the pottery village. Its closure has been deeply felt by my constituents, and investment in our high streets would go a long way. It would support Amber Valley communities and businesses and help us to rebuild from this social and economic scarring.

Now is the time for the Government to step in and show my constituents that Amber Valley matters. I know that the Prime Minister understands areas like mine and wants to put them at the heart of his agenda. With the high street strategy imminent, I therefore hope that Amber Valley will finally receive the long overdue investment that it deserves.

Local Government Reorganisation

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

Monday 7th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Angela Rayner]

I thank the Father of the House. I can feel his frustration, but I also acknowledge the plug he gave for the Pride in Place funding, which is making a real difference to some of the most deprived areas. I reassure him that this review of the decision is about me making sure that it is the right one. It is about giving me the time to listen to what hon. Members and leaders are saying, so that I can ensure that I have got the correct advice. As Secretary of State, I take that responsibility very seriously and I will make sure that it is done as quickly as possible.

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

I thank the Secretary of State for her statement today. I support local government reorganisation and the two-unitary option for Derbyshire, but Chris Emmas-Williams—the leader of Amber Valley borough council—and myself have repeatedly made representations against the decision to split Amber Valley in two. My constituents do not want it, and I have concerns about the capacity to deliver that divide while maintaining the high standards of service that my constituents deserve. Will my right hon. Friend commit to meeting me to discuss this further?

[Angela Rayner]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work that she is doing to represent her Amber Valley constituents. As I have said, there is a pause while we review the programme. I am sure that the Local Government Minister will arrange a meeting with her and local leaders to ensure that we have a full understanding of Amber Valley’s challenges and opportunities, so that we can take this forward.

Local Government Reorganisation

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Steve Reed]

I will ensure that the decision is taken in good time for the appropriate electoral arrangements to be put in place. That will be shortly after the summer recess. The council will then be able to prepare for those elections. As I made clear in my statement, there is a record amount of money available for transitioning services into the new authorities, which her constituents and her constituency will also benefit from.

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

Local Amber Valley leaders and I support devolution, but we are incredibly concerned about the decision to split Amber Valley between two unitary authorities, particularly because the option selected was not subject to public consultation. It also places a huge burden on Amber Valley borough council during the reorganisation, with double the amount of work. I am thinking about my constituents and their absolute right to excellent public services throughout the process, and the Secretary of State will know, through my many representations, of my concern about capacity to deliver the change. My local authority is considering the next steps, and the Secretary should know that that includes all options available to them. I am pleased to hear about the capacity funding—

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)]

Order. The hon. Lady needs to ask a question, as indeed do all Members, as quickly as possible, because this is taking a very long time.

[Linsey Farnsworth]

Will the Secretary of State give a commitment that the lion’s share of the capacity funding for Derbyshire will go to Amber Valley, given that we are the most affected?

Productivity and Economic Growth: East Midlands

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

Tuesday 17th March 2026 Westminster Hall

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) for securing the debate.

Many in Amber Valley—including me—are proud descendants of coalminers, textile makers and engineers. That heritage still shapes our economy: 20% of the workforce are in manufacturing, mining and utilities. Amber Valley’s industrial history, national significance and visitor offer are currently underdeveloped, but I am working hard to change that through my visitor economy strategy.

A thriving visitor economy will boost footfall, inject money into hospitality and support local businesses and high streets. I am therefore delighted that my three towns of Alfreton, Heanor and Ripley have come together to submit a joint bid to the UK town of culture competition in recognition of their remarkable shared story. My visitor economy work complements that of East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, whose vision for growth projects an additional £960 million in direct gross value added for the region and £730 million indirectly through the visitor economy.

No discussion of Amber Valley’s heritage and economy is complete without mentioning the Denby Pottery Company. Founded in 1809, it has made stoneware in Derbyshire since the industrial revolution. It is the constituency’s largest employer: about 350 of its 500 staff are local, and many have worked there for decades. As a tourist attraction, Denby Pottery Village brings in more than 250,000 visitors a year.

However, as Members know, the company has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, which is devastating news for staff facing uncertainty about their livelihoods. I have spoken to the GMB union, and I encourage colleagues to support any affected constituents. I have also met Denby’s leadership and ensured engagement with the Department for Business and Trade, and I remain in contact with the Treasury and the Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade, my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton North (Chris McDonald).

Although the news may feel sudden, the truth is that the UK ceramics industry has been hit by sharp and unpredictable swings in energy prices, and the impact of new trading arrangements and global tariff pressures have hampered competitiveness. We hope that an investor will come forward to secure a future for the business, as it is hugely important to save the company. I urge Ministers to expand the British industry supercharger scheme, as very few ceramics companies currently qualify.

Amber Valley contains some of the most deprived areas in Derbyshire. People know that they have been overlooked and left behind for years, and a much-loved employer going into administration, putting 500 jobs at risk, compounds that belief. Bringing pride in place back to communities such as mine is absolutely essential, so will the Minister outline what more can be done for Amber Valley and how she will work with colleagues across Government to support Denby Pottery?

Coalfield Communities

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

Thursday 6th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

First, I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) for securing this important and timely debate. I echo his comments about our hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Grahame Morris) for his work championing our coalfield communities, which, until this Government were elected, had been forgotten.

I speak as the proud daughter of a former coalminer on behalf of the coalfield communities in Amber Valley and thousands of former coal industry workers across the country. My dad and the constituents of Amber Valley have a common link: a rich mining heritage. Whether it is constituents like John Edwards from Heanor, Colin Smith from Langley Mill or Ian Walker from Ripley, all parts of Amber Valley share this common bond. Our communities were built on the hard work and dedication of our mineworkers, engineers, technicians and support staff who powered our nation through challenging times, often at great personal risk.

In October, we saw long-overdue justice served for the members of the mineworkers pension scheme when the Government agreed to return its £1.5 billion investment reserve. That decision resulted in a well-deserved 32% increase in pensions, and an average increase of £29 a week for each member. That is already improving the lives of many of the former 772 mineworkers in Amber Valley. It has directly benefited my family, too, and I know that it means a lot to my dad to get that recognition. However, the same cannot be said about the members of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme. The hard work of those engineers, technicians and support staff ensured that men like my dad who went down the pits every day returned safely to the surface. Indeed, some members of the BCSSS also worked underground.

We have done right by the MPS men who went down the pits, but have we truly supported the women, who were often paid less than their male counterparts and are an equal part of the coalfield communities? As my hon. Friend the Member for Neath and Swansea East (Carolyn Harris) pointed out, women in the coal industry—the majority of whom are BCSSS members—deserve pension justice, too.

The parallels between the MPS and the BCSSS are obvious. Both schemes were established during the privatisation of British Coal in 1994, with the Government acting as guarantor, yet while the MPS members have seen their investment reserve rightly returned, BCSSS members such as my constituents John, Colin and Ian continue to wait. The trustees of the BCSSS have formally requested the return of the £2.3 billion investment reserve. That request is not only reasonable but consistent with the precedent set by the MPS decision. This is a matter not just of financial contribution but of justice, fairness and honouring the contributions of all those who helped build our nation’s energy infrastructure.

I urge the Government to act swiftly and decisively. Let us commit to a full review of the BCSSS surplus sharing agreements and transfer the investment reserve to its rightful owners: the scheme members. That action would provide a significant boost to the pensions of more than 40,000 former coal industry staff, enhancing their financial security and quality of life in retirement. I urge the Government to consider quick action, as many in receipt of those pensions are in their 80s or older. It is heartbreaking that thousands of miners, including colleagues of my dad, did not live long enough to receive the benefit of the MPS surplus. I know my father would not want his colleagues, who kept him safe and supported him, to be forgotten. I urge the Government to consider righting this historic inequality, so that all members of our coalfield communities get the justice that they deserve.

New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 17th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Max Wilkinson) for bringing forward this Bill on a subject of great importance. I know from personal experience the time and effort it must have taken to get to this stage.

I am sure Members on both sides of the House will agree that solar is a key tool in the renewable energy arsenal which, if used properly, can have a significant positive impact on tackling climate change and ensuring that we live in a more sustainable society. I am proud to represent a constituency that is taking the power of solar seriously. Constituents in Amber Valley regularly write to me wanting to know what is being done at both local and national level to tackle climate change. Even those constituents who are not what any of us would call eco-warriors are invariably unopposed to solar on rooftops, and that is not, it seems, unique to Amber Valley. As I walked through Westminster underground station this morning, a billboard caught my eye. The MSC Foundation was advertising the fact that a recent YouGov survey found that three in four voters believe that solar panels should be mandatory on new homes.

When Labour took control of Amber Valley borough council in 2023, the council had no council homes whatsoever, as the previous Conservative-run council had sold all the housing stock 20 years earlier at below-market rates. To right that wrong, the council has started a new council house building programme, and while we started small, we are working towards a target of 30 new council homes, each fitted with solar panels. Indeed, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero last year witnessed four new builds resulting from that programme on his visit to the borough alongside the Mayor of the East Midlands. It is fair to say that we are committed in Amber Valley. Incorporating rooftop solar as part of our house building programme has been an important part of delivering cleaner energy and lower bills, and ensuring sustainability for our constituents.

When I first became a borough councillor in Amber Valley, I asked whether we could have a planning condition that solar panels must be installed on roofs, and I too was told that that was just not possible. That was totally perplexing to me, so I am sure that hon. Members can imagine that I am proud to be part of a Government who are spearheading the most ambitious house building programme in a generation, with a clear commitment to environmental sustainability.

[Calum Miller]

The hon. Lady speaks of the Government’s ambition, and there is one simple thing they could do. In December 2023, after lobbying from developers, the previous Conservative Government shamefully issued a written ministerial statement to prohibit a councillor in West Oxfordshire district council in my constituency from insisting on higher environmental standards for a net zero development. Does the hon. Lady agree that if the Government simply revoked that written ministerial statement, local councils across the country would have more freedom to set higher environmental standards? Will she encourage the Minister to respond to that point?

[Linsey Farnsworth]

I would encourage the Minister to respond, because I do not think that it is for me to do so. However, I do think we should be doing everything we can to move towards a better, more sustainable future.

Not only are we building 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament, but we are committed to an ambitious decarbonising agenda and harnessing renewable resources across the UK. The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of course understands the importance of solar as part of our wider clean power mission, and the contribution that the energy efficiency of homes can make to our net zero emissions target. There is no doubt in my mind that rooftop solar plays a crucial role in that.

I support the notion behind the Bill. The Government are already working on future standards, particularly on the technical detail of solar, to ensure that they are appropriate. That will ensure that new homes and buildings embrace energy efficiency and are fit for a net zero future, and I look forward to the Government introducing those standards this year. I thank the hon. Member for Cheltenham for raising this important issue in the House today.

Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill

Linsey Farnsworth Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 17th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Adam Thompson]

Of course, I completely agree with everything my hon. Friend just said. I am sure that many Members—probably all right hon. and hon. Members—agree that the polling clerks and all the attendants on election day are a vital part of our democracy, and they have our thanks for their work, year in, year out, in all elections.

As I was saying, I am a great fan of doing everything we can as a Government and as Parliament to improve access to elections and to remove barriers. Digital measures of the sort in the Bill are a really important part of that. We have heard Members on both sides of the House talk about the importance of breaking down the barriers in the way of those who are digitally illiterate and giving everyone access to a way of signing up for postal and proxy votes online. I also advocate for more education in schools.

[Linsey Farnsworth (Amber Valley) (Lab)]

I am in the fortunate position of being the neighbouring MP, so you may well be familiar with the school I mention, which is just down the road from your constituency. Will you commend Langley Mill academy for its great work to raise awareness among young people of British values and our voting system, and sadly for putting a photo of me on the overhead projector when I visited? They asked me lots of insightful questions, which really showed that they are learning about our democracy.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Order. I remind the hon. Member that the words “you” and “your” refer to me, and I am not the person she intervened on.