Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to increase online (a) advertisement of and (b) engagement in planning applications.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Local planning authorities are required to publicise certain types of planning applications in local newspapers as set out in Article 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. Proposals in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill for the digitisation of the planning system will help enable the move to a modern and efficient planning system fit for the 21st century. Alongside traditional forms of engagement, digital engagement will remove barriers to engagement and create a more democratic planning system with planning decisions and local plans being informed by a larger and more diverse range of community views.
The Government recognises the importance of print local newspapers to the communities they serve as an important engagement method.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local newspapers in advertising planning applications.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Local planning authorities are required to publicise certain types of planning applications in local newspapers as set out in Article 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. Proposals in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill for the digitisation of the planning system will help enable the move to a modern and efficient planning system fit for the 21st century. Alongside traditional forms of engagement, digital engagement will remove barriers to engagement and create a more democratic planning system with planning decisions and local plans being informed by a larger and more diverse range of community views.
The Government recognises the importance of print local newspapers to the communities they serve as an important engagement method.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps people can take to escalate a complaint where the Housing Ombudsman has (a) acknowledged but not provided further response to an individual initiating a formal complaints process and (b) not responded to an official complaint from an hon. Member on the lack of response to their constituent.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Housing Ombudsman resolves disputes between social housing residents and their landlords. The service is free to residents, independent of Government and impartial. The Housing Ombudsman Service receives a high volume of cases and is working to deal with them as quickly as possible. In 2020-21, the average time taken to complete an investigation was 5.2 months, down from 5.8 months in 2019-20.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the long term economic impact of the Future High Streets Fund.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The Future High Street Fund has a robust monitoring and evaluation plan, published on 1 April, to ensure outputs are being delivered while maintaining value for public money; this strategy will ensure the fund delivers on its aims and spreads economic prosperity across the country.
As towns and high streets continue to open up this funding will provide a much-needed boost for towns as they safely welcome shoppers and visitors back to their high streets.
The Fund is being invested in transformational projects that will improve transport access, make use of vacant shops, buy and bring land forward to support new housing, workspaces and public realm, and help adapt high streets in response to changes in technology. This is part of our plan to protect and create thousands of jobs while delivering long term prosperity to communities across England.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of category two index towns expected to secure funding from the Levelling Up Fund.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Bids are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. We are not able to estimate of the proportion of category two index towns expected to secure funding during this period of competition. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced later in the year and bidding authorities will be informed in due course.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Levelling Up Fund bids from category two towns will be assessed in the same way as those in category one; and whether capacity funding will be available to support prospective bidders from category two.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
All bids to the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) are being assessed against the published criteria. A place's category will be taken into account in the appraisal as part of the 'characteristics of place' criterion, as set out in the LUF prospectus and technical guidance. To support those areas measured as having the 'highest need', capacity funding will be allocated to those local authorities to assist them to develop high-quality bids for the Fund, as well as all local authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans are in place for a second round of applications under the Levelling Up Fund; and whether the criteria and funding goals will remain the same as in the first round.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
For future rounds of the Levelling Up Fund, the parameters set out in the prospectus will be kept under review, and any updates will reflect any operational feedback and wider changes in government policy.
Announcements about the future of the Fund will be made later this year.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of homes damaged by flooding issues in the last twelve months.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
MHCLG does not hold estimates of the number of homes damaged by flooding over the past twelve months.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
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 ensure that appropriate upgrades to (a) roads and (b) pedestrian access are made in areas with new housing developments.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that in assessing sites where development is proposed, that safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved for all users. The Framework is also clear that any significant implications of the development for the wider transport network, or on highway safety, can be cost effectively mitigated to an acceptable degree. Where appropriate, developer contributions may be sought to achieve improvements that help mitigate any implications.
Last year the Government consulted on the Planning for the Future White Paper, and the reforms will consider how more specific sustainable transport options can be delivered to reduce our reliance on carbon-intensive modes of transport, such as prioritising walking and cycling.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of properties completed by Homes England in the North West in each of the last three years.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The total number of homes that have been completed with support from Homes England in the North West over the last three years is 22,337. The specific breakdown over each of the three years is as follows; 6,365 between 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018, 8,127 between 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019, and 7,845 between 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020. Further details of Homes England’s starts on site and completions data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/housing-statistics-1-april-2019-to-31-march-2020 .