Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what additional protections for nature will result from the reforms to the planning system set out in the Planning for the Future White Paper.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
In Planning for the Future we proposed a quicker and simpler framework for assessing environmental effects: one which does not compromise on environmental standards, and indeed encourages opportunities for environmental enhancements to be identified and pursued early in the development process. Proposals will leave an inheritance of environmental improvements with environmental assets protected, more green spaces provided, more sustainable development supported and new homes that are more energy efficient.
Though we are still considering the responses to the White Paper consultation, I can assure you that legal protection for landscape, habitat and wildlife will remain in force, and reforms will support the implementation of the proposals in the Environment Bill, including the commitment to a 10 per cent biodiversity net gain requirement. Consultation on the White Paper closed on 29 October 2020. The Government will publish its response following consideration of all the feedback received.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 ensure that local communities are consulted on the environmental impact of the proposed developments for (a) growth and (b) renewal zones outlined in the Planning for the Future White Paper.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Our proposals are designed to put effective community engagement at the heart of planning. The current planning system has a poor record in this area, with information that is hard to find, and difficult to understand.
By taking a digital-first approach to modernise the planning process, we can use new tools and platforms to make it easier for people to understand what is being proposed, and to feed their views into the system at the right time. This will help ensure local people can have real influence over both the location and design of development, and have a meaningful say over its environmental implications.
They will be able to do this both at the plan-making stage – when the important decisions are being made about the scale and location of growth – and as the details of proposed developments come forward. We have proposed a quicker, simpler framework for assessing environmental effects to support this: one which will be easier for communities to engage with, while protecting what matters and leaving an inheritance of environmental improvement.
We are grateful for the many responses received to these proposals. They are being analysed at present, and we will take them into account as we consider how to move forward.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 prevent covid-19 related evictions following the lifting of the eviction ban.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The stay on possession proceedings has been extended until 20 September 2020, meaning that in total no tenant can have been legally evicted for 6 months at the height of the pandemic.
Legislation has been introduced that means, from 29 August 2020, landlords must give tenants six months’ notice before they can evict in most circumstances, apart from the most egregious cases such as incidents of anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse perpetrators. This will be in force until 31 March 2021.
In addition, new court rules, which will come into force on 20 September, will mean landlords will need to set out in their claim any relevant information about a tenant’s circumstances, including information on the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Where this information is not provided, judges will have the ability to adjourn proceedings.
We will keep these measures under review?and decisions?will continue?to be guided by the latest public health advice.