Summer Recess Activities

Lord Pickles Excerpts

Monday 1st September 2014 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

I would like to update hon. Members on the main items of business undertaken by my Department since the House rose for the summer recess.

Helping people move up and up the housing ladder

As part of our long-term economic plan, the coalition Government are working to increase housing supply, build more affordable homes, support the private rented sector and champion home ownership.

On 26 July, new departmental figures showed almost 40,000 households have bought a new home through the Help To Buy schemes. More than 32,500 new homes have been bought through the Equity Loan and NewBuy options, with a further 7,300 sales so far through the Mortgage Guarantee scheme (which commenced at the end of last year). More than eight out of 10 sales have gone to first-time buyers and have been for new build homes. The Help to Buy is creating a new generation of affordable homeowners, and boosting house building to the highest level seen since 2007. The latest sales figures will be published tomorrow.

On 21 August, my Department published new figures which show work began on 36,230 new homes in England between April and June. This is an increase of 18% on the same quarter last year. This brings the total number of starts over the last 12 months to 137,780 and is further proof that the Government’s long-term economic plan to improve the housing market is working, building 0.5 million homes that have already been delivered since 2010.

On 5 August, we announced that hardworking council house tenants who want to own their own home will now benefit from higher right to buy discounts, and be guided through the homebuying process by a new team of experts. My Department’s team of right to buy advisers will be on hand to offer free advice, support and information for any tenant who dreams of becoming a homeowner, while the maximum discounts available now stand at £102,700 in London and £77,000 outside the capital. Councils that bring forward brownfield land for development could benefit from a share of £5 million to get work started on the new homes, under plans announced by my Department on 7 August. This fund will help unlock up to 100 brownfield sites and could pave the way for planning permissions on up to 200,000 new homes.

On 7 August, we set out plans that put people at the heart of shaping the future development of the Ebbsfleet garden city. My Department is consulting on plans to create a development corporation that will work with local residents and businesses to grow the garden city in the way that is right for the local area. The corporation will help local authorities drive forward development, co-ordinate investment and solve the issues that held the regeneration of Ebbsfleet back under the last Labour Government.

On 13 August, my Department launched a £200 million fund that will help create 10 housing zones on brownfield land where it will be easier to build new homes quickly. The new zones, which will be outside London, should be large enough to deliver 750 to 2,000 properties, and will complement plans for 20 new housing zones in the capital.

On 15 August, we announced the first wave of projects which could benefit from a £1 billion scheme to create 200,000 new homes across the country in locally-led, large scale sites. My Department published a shortlist of 36 large-scale housing projects in line to receive a share of £850 million of funding to get work going onsite and house building started. Sites include the continued development of the Greenwich peninsula in south-east London, which will help provide nearly 10,000 new homes; and the redevelopment of the former Rugby radio station site, to help provide 6,200 homes.

Our housing policies are assisted by our planning reforms, scrapping top-down targets, and giving people a greater say over planning decisions that them. On 31 July, my Department published a technical consultation paper on a range of proposals to build on the improvements we have already made. These will make it easier for communities to devise neighbourhood plans, get empty and redundant buildings back into productive use, remove gold-plating of EU directives, help builders get onto sites with planning permission without delay and reduce bureaucracy and red tape.

In addition to these planning changes, the Government are taking more steps to unlock stalled sites and get Britain building again. My Department launched a £3 million fund on 30 July to enable work to get started more quickly on up to 85 new housing sites where development has been agreed. The funding is available to councils across the country to tackle planning issues that can cause delay and prevent builders getting on site and starting work quickly.

My Department published the progress update on the review of local authorities’ role in housing supply from Natalie Elphicke and Keith House on 31 July. They highlighted how innovative councils are already levering private finance to help deliver the homes their communities need—and how more could follow in their footsteps. The review argues that many councils could significantly boost their house building plans by using more private sector investment.

On 12 August, my Department introduced a new law which caps the amount councils can charge leaseholders for repairs to their homes. This Government are acting not least because of the tragic case of my constituent, Florence Bourne, a 93-year-old who was landed with a £50,000 bill by her local authority for roof repairs. She suffered a fatal heart attack and her family claim she “died of shame” because she had never been in debt in her life and could not afford to pay for the work on her Brentwood home. “Florrie’s law” will limit the amount councils and housing associations can charge for major repair, maintenance, or improvement works when they are wholly or partly funded by the Government. The maximum charge outside London is £10,000 in any five-year period, with a cap of £15,000 for the capital.

We have also ensured that protections for leaseholders are embedded in the renovation programmes being supported by our 2015-16 Decent Homes Backlog fund. We will examine what further support can be offered to other leaseholders. Already, plans are in place to require managing agents to belong to a redress scheme so leaseholders have somewhere to go if they get a raw deal. We will also look to address:

providing access to summaries of the determination of tribunal cases so people have a better understanding of the outcome;

making it easier to get recognition of a tenants’ association;

increasing awareness of what being a leaseholder means before people buy leasehold properties;

gaining information on absentee leaseholders, especially where owners wish to buy the freehold;

ensuring landlords provide a realistic valuation of the price a leaseholder would have to pay to buy the freehold or extend their lease;

the specific issue of transfer (exit) fee covenants particularly found in the retirement leasehold sector by referring the matter to the Law Commission.

A triennial review of the functions and form of the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) started over the summer. The review will examine whether there is a continuing need for it. Should it conclude there is it will go on to assess the body’s capacity for delivering more effectively and efficiently, and examine whether its control and governance arrangements continue to meet the recognised principles of good corporate governance.

Supporting local firms and local jobs

On 29 July, the Future High Street Forum—which my Department created—published an in-depth study into the state of British high streets revealing resurgent high streets are adapting to meet the changing demands of the nation’s consumers.

The university of Southampton report revealed how fundamental changes to Britain’s convenience culture are transforming the way we shop and bringing new business into town. This coincided with the launch of the Great British High Street competition to celebrate the nation’s best high streets. We have received over 130 entries under seven separate categories: city centres, town centres, market towns, coastal communities, villages, parades and London. Colleagues should get behind this initiative and champion their own high streets.

The winners will receive a share of £50,000 worth of prize money and dedicated support from industry experts, as part of the Government’s commitment to high streets and its long-term economic plan. It is supporting local shops and businesses with a billion pound package of investment that includes targeted business rate discounts, sensible planning changes and action that reins in over-zealous parking practices.

Seaside towns have untapped potential to create vibrant economies and are an important part of the Government’s long-term economic plan to boost jobs and businesses around the country. On 1 August, my Department announced £8.5 million of funding would go to projects in 10 coastal towns to help create and safeguard nearly 1,400 jobs, while supporting essential repairs in areas affected by the winter storms. The Coastal Communities Fund is already making a real difference to our coastal towns and helping communities regenerate their local economy. So far the scheme has already supported over 7,500 jobs and 1,400 training places up and down the country. The Government also announced £2 million of support to help Eastbourne’s tourist industry following the tragic blaze on the pier, which damaged around a third of the structure and an extra £3 million for the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund to encourage growth and create jobs in coastal towns.

As part of our wider consultation on technical changes to planning, we announced proposals to enable British high streets to adapt to meet the changing needs of today’s modern consumer, by freeing retailers to make changes to their premises so they can offer “click and collect” services without making a planning application. This will ensure the rise of internet shopping supports local shops, rather than competing with town centres.

On 30 August, as part of the implementation of our policies on reining in over-zealous parking enforcement, we announced details of the new community powers which will allow local residents and businesses to challenge the use of unfair yellow lines and parking changes. Should campaigners secure a minimum of 50 council taxpayers’ signatures, or 10% of local residents and businesses in an affected area, this will require the council to review their parking policy in a specific location, and elected councillors then to vote on the issue. We have invited representations on the proposed thresholds and associated technical details. This new community right combines direct democracy and representative democracy.

The technical consultation paper on planning also proposed further action to ensure more parking spaces are provided alongside new homes to end a “vicious cycle” where clogged up streets leave drivers to run a gauntlet of congestion, unfair fines and restrictions. This is a different approach from the last Labour Government who imposed Whitehall restrictions on new parking spaces, leading to more parking difficulties, higher parking charges and more parking fines. My Department is consulting on new planning guidance which seeks councils’ support to improve the quality and quantity of parking as part of our long-term economic plan.

On 6 August, we announced a £15 million Government grant to help the Humber become a world-class centre for offshore renewable energy industries that employs thousands of people. The money will support the Able Marine Energy Park based on the Humber Enterprise Zone, which will provide a facility for the manufacture, storage, assembly and deployment of the next generation of offshore wind turbines. This project will create more than 4,100 direct jobs and will let the Humber grow as a leading centre for renewable energy. Building work on the site will create around 350 full-time construction jobs.

Improving front-line public services

On 28 July, my Department teamed up with the Hollywood animation studio, DreamWorks, to launch an innovative partnership between the award-winning Fire Kills campaign and the new “How To Train Your Dragon 2” movie. The collaboration resulted in a powerful campaign using characters from the well known family film to encourage families to test their smoke alarm on the first of every month. This is an innovative example of collaborative marketing, and how the public sector can work with the private sector to support behavioural change at minimal cost. This is part of our wider, award-winning Fire Kills campaign.

On 7 August, my Department launched an independent review to ensure the conditions of service that firefighters enjoy continue to support their frontline work of preventing fire and protecting the public for years to come. The review will be led by human resources expert Adrian Thomas who will consult with fire and rescue authorities, firefighters, representative bodies before reporting back in 2015. The Government are clear that the public rightly expects fire and rescue authorities to continue to strive for excellence and to demonstrate the best possible value for money without compromising the quality of front-line services.

On 19 August, we announced the expansion of the Government’s Troubled Families programme, to help vulnerable younger children from struggling homes to get a better chance in life. Work will begin this year in 51 of the best performing areas, ahead of a national five-year programme from 2015 to help more troubled families who cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds per year without intervention. Recent research shows that troubled families that have been worked with so far have an average of nine serious problems such as truancy, crime, anti-social behaviour, worklessness and domestic violence. As well as expanding from working with school-age children to those under five, the wider programme will also have a particular focus on improving poor health. The scheme builds on the success of the current programme run by councils, which new figures show is now helping over 110,000 of the most troubled families in England. Of these nearly 53,000 have had their lives turned around thanks to the intensive and practical approach, which works with the whole family on all of its problems.

A new law came into force on 6 August allowing the independent free press and local citizens to film and digitally report from all public meetings of local government bodies. The Openness of Local Government Regulations 2014 builds on Margaret Thatcher’s successful Private Members’ Bill from 1960 which allowed for the written reporting of council meetings by the press. The new “right to report” goes hand-in-hand with our work to stop unfair state competition from municipal newspapers—together defending the independent free press.

We announced a new fund on 29 August to help families recycle, without facing the threat of unfair bin fines or cuts to their bin collection services. The £5 million extra funding will help councils with weekly collections increase their recycling rates, by giving incentives—such as shopping vouchers and loyalty rewards—to households who recycle. This follows a commitment in the coalition agreement to help support such schemes. The scheme builds on the success of around 40 projects already backed by the weekly collections support scheme to trial and pilot reward programme. Again, this illustrates how behavioural insight can drive change by working with consumers, without a bullying, taxing or nanny state approach. The approach of this Government in supporting weekly collections is in contrast to the Welsh Government which are backing fortnightly and monthly bin collections.

Championing united communities and British values

Over the August bank holiday weekend (23 and 24 August), Ministers led tributes to the bravery of world war one heroes at the first ceremonies to mark the laying of commemorative Victoria Cross paving stones. This is a nationwide campaign to honour those who received the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military honour, during the first world war. On the date corresponding to when they were awarded the Victoria Cross, commemorative a paving stone will be laid in their place of birth or where they lived following the war. The stones will provide a lasting legacy to their gallantry in towns and cities across the United Kingdom and will enable residents to gain a greater understanding of how their area fitted into the history of the first world war.

The programme will also see 35 Victoria Cross recipients commemorated in the Republic of Ireland. All Victoria Cross recipients that were born overseas will be commemorated with a paving stone in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will also place commemorative plaques in countries around the world for men from overseas who received the Victoria Cross for service in the first world war.

On 28 July, Ministers gave their best wishes to Muslims in the UK and across the world for Eid, which marks the end of the Ramadan a period of fast and peaceful prayer. Then on 13 August, Ministers met the Jewish organisation, Community Security Trust, to hear about the rise in anti-Semitism as a consequence of recent events in the middle east, and to listen to the concerns of the British Jewish community. The group recorded more than 200 incidents in July, the second highest monthly total since the organisation started recording incidents in 1984. Britain has a long standing reputation for freedom of speech and freedom of religion, within the law. Whatever one’s views about the politics of Israel and Gaza, there is absolutely no place in our country for anti-Semitic attacks. Those who commit hate crimes should expect to be punished with the full force of the law. Everyone who believes in British liberties should condemn anti-Semitism and stand up for the Jewish community’s right to practice their faith without fear or intimidation.

This Government are championing local communities continuing to cherish and celebrate traditional ties and community spirit, including flag-flying. On 23 July, my Department raised the flag of Cumberland to celebrate Historic County Flags day and on 1 August, my Department raised the flag of Yorkshire to celebrate Yorkshire day. My Department also flew the St Anne’s on the Sea flag (26 July), the North Riding flag (22 August) and the East Riding flag (24 August).

The St Anne’s flag is an example of our work with the Flag institute to help local communities to produce their own local flag where they do not have an historic flag. St Anne’s on the Sea town council worked with its local civic society and the Flag institute on the design of its flag which was first raised in the town last year. We are encouraging other areas across the country to come together and design their own flags to celebrate their local identity and community spirit.

Saving taxpayers' money and rolling back the state

On 4 August, my Department officially relocated from Eland house, Victoria to share offices with the Home Office in Marsham street, Westminster. The move will help reduce the size of the public estate, saving taxpayers an estimated £220 million over the lifetime of the expensive private finance initiative contract signed under the last Labour Government. Our move is a case study in how local authorities can save taxpayers’ money by sharing services and streamlining property assets.

Marsham street was once the home of DCLG’s predecessor, the Department of the Environment, so in many senses, the Department is returning home. Eland house is being redeveloped into extensive shops and offices as part of the ongoing regeneration of the Victoria area of London. The pot plants purchased by the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have been auctioned off, whilst the luxury, designer Parisian sofas bought by the Labour Government in 2009 as part of an “efficiency initiative” will be reused elsewhere in Government.

However, Members should rest assured that we have not off-loaded the entire Department of its fixtures and fittings: our portrait of Her Majesty the Queen is now proudly displayed in our shared reception in Marsham street.

I am placing in the Library of the House copies of the press notices and documents associated with these announcements.