Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons he has decided to recover the planning appeals by Caudrilla Resources to build shale gas wells at Roseacre and Preston New Road.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
The reasons for the Secretary of State’s decision are set out in his letter to parties. This makes clear that the drilling appeals involve proposals for exploring and developing shale gas which amount to proposals for development of major importance having more than local significance and proposals which raise important or novel issues of development control, and/ or legal difficulties.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on pausing planning applications to build shale gas wells until after the Environment Agency has completed its consultation and published guidance for onshore oil and gas operations in the UK.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
There is no policy to delay the determination of shale gas planning proposals pending the completion of the Environment Agency’s consultation on their updated Onshore Oil and Gas Sector Guidance issued on 26 November.
The Government has in place a comprehensive regulatory framework for shale gas development. As part of this, the Environment Agency’s views on schemes can be taken into account by local planning authorities, or by the Secretary of State where relevant, in the determination of planning proposals for shale gas development.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made in developing enterprise zones at (a) Blackpool Airport and (b) Warton.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
Since the Lancashire Enterprise Zone was established in 2012 the Local Enterprise Partnership and UK Trade and Investment have actively promoted the Enterprise Zone as a good place for companies to set up or expand their businesses.
Two companies have also set up on the Enterprise Zone’s other site at Warton, already attracting 25 jobs.
Work has recently started on BAE’s training facility on the Enterprise Zone site in Samlesbury. This is a part of BAE’s national commitment to double the number of apprentices they train bringing important opportunities and skills to the area. The new facility is expected to be completed by September 2016.
An announcement about the Blackpool Airport site will be made 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 Communities and Local Government, if he will ensure that decisions on shale gas well locations are taken by local authorities.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
Planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the Local Development Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. This is why our planning guidance encourages Local Minerals Plans, where appropriate, to give clear guidance and criteria for the location and assessment of hydrocarbon extraction within Petroleum Licence Areas. I refer my hon. Friend to the Written Ministerial Statements of 16 September (HCWS201 and HCWS202) which set out the Government’s policy on timely decision-taking on planning applications relating to shale gas extraction.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to mitigate the noise and sound pollution arising from heavy goods vehicles used in shale gas drilling.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
Potential noise impacts created by new shale gas development would be taken into account on a case by case basis by local planning authorities when they determine relevant planning applications, or by the Secretary of State in the determination of planning appeals or called-in applications.
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning decisions should aim to avoid noise from giving rise to significant adverse impacts on health and quality of life as a result of new development, and mitigate and reduce other adverse impacts to a minimum including through the use of conditions.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to promote the use of enterprise zones by businesses.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
My Department works actively with UK Trade and Investment, BIS sector leads as well as local partners to promote opportunities in Enterprise Zones to businesses across the UK and overseas. UK Trade and Investment encourages and supports overseas companies to consider Enterprise Zones as a good place to set up or expand their businesses. They do this by working to support the marketing efforts on Zones and publicising opportunities for businesses within their international networks.
This collective approach is working. By the end of 2014, more than 450 businesses had come to Enterprise Zones. Alongside this, there has been significant investment in infrastructure, including around £200 million of commitments from the Local Growth Fund. This will help to attract more businesses to Enterprise Zones in future.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
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 help local shops in (a) England and (b) Lancashire with the cost of business rates.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
At the Autumn Statement we announced a £1 billion package of business rates support to help shops and local firms. This included a £1,000 discount for two years for smaller shops, pubs and restaurants. Based on local authority reports of the amount of relief awarded, we estimate that 272,300 properties will benefit in England, including 7,740 in Lancashire.
The support package also included a 50 per cent discount for businesses taking on long-term empty shops, the doubling of small business rate relief for another year, a 2% cap on RPI increases for 2014-2015, allowing businesses to spread their business rates payments over 12 months, and allowing ratepayers that take on a second property to keep their small business rate relief for an extra year.
The Localism Act has also made it easier for small firms to claim small business rate relief.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
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 ensure that the wishes of the local people and decisions of the local council are given priority in appeal decisions by the Planning Inspectorate.
Answered by Nick Boles
Planning is a quasi-judicial process; it is a long-standing feature of the planning system that there is a right of appeal, just as there are with other local quasi-judicial decisions such as on licensing applications, gambling applications or parking fines.
The Localism Act 2011 has strengthened the role of Local Plans and abolished the last Administration's top-down Regional Strategies. Our streamlined National Planning Policy Framework strongly encourages areas to get up-to-date Local Plans in place, and we have been actively supporting councils in doing so. Local Plans now set the framework in which decisions on particular applications are taken, whether locally or at appeal, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Once adopted a neighbourhood plan will also become part of the area's statutory development plan – an example of this Government's localist agenda. Both local and neighbourhood plans are founded on thorough community involvement and are subject to public examination and consultation. Almost 1,000 communities have applied for a neighbourhood planning area to be designated, with 850 areas now designated.
Planning inspectors will take full account of all the evidence that is before them, including representations made by local residents and other interested parties. Each representation should be considered on their merits, paying careful regard to the relevant policy and material planning considerations.
Since the National Planning Policy Framework was introduced, the number of appeals received has fallen as has the number allowed. The quality of local decisions also remains high – 99 per cent of decisions are made locally with only approximately 1 per cent of planning applications overturned on appeal. Housing starts and housing construction are also up, as are permissions for new homes. This means there is more local decision-making, and our reforms are supporting badly-needed new homes within a locally-led planning system.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to ensure that the legal costs accrued over the closure of the Traveller site in Fylde are recovered from the travellers.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The High Court and the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Secretary of State to dismiss the planning appeal and uphold the enforcement notice in relation to an unauthorised traveller site at Fairfield Road, Hardhorn.
My Department seeks to recover the costs of litigation from the other parties where this is appropriate, and I can confirm that we will be seeking to do so in this case.
Flyde Borough Council may also seek to do the same through due legal process; however, this is a matter for the council rather than my Department.