Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, CP 1218, published on 16 December 2024, what plans she has to introduce legislative proposals for a ministerial directive to allow the creation of Strategic Authorities.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Devolution White Paper set out the government’s ambition for universal coverage of Strategic Authorities with access to devolution in England. We are committed to introducing the English Devolution Bill in this session, subject to parliamentary time. We will legislate for a ministerial power of direction, previously referred to as a ministerial directive, enabling government to create Strategic Authorities in any remaining places where local leaders have not been able to agree a route to devolution and ensure the effective running of public services. The government is fully committed to working in partnership with local authorities, and the Secretary of State will only use this power when other routes to devolution have been exhausted.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, CP 1218, published on 16 December 2024, what guidance she has issued on deciding between alternative local government reorganisation proposals for one area.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I wrote to all councils in two-tier areas and to neighbouring small unitaries on 5th February to formally invite unitary proposals from all these councils. The invitation includes guidance on issues of local identity among other matters, all of which will be relevant to decisions between alternative local government reorganisation proposals for one area.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, CP 1218, published on 16 December 2024, what steps she is taking to ensure local identity is respected in local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I wrote to all councils in two-tier areas and to neighbouring small unitaries on 5th February to formally invite unitary proposals from all these councils. The invitation includes guidance on issues of local identity among other matters, all of which will be relevant to decisions between alternative local government reorganisation proposals for one area.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with Hertfordshire County Council on local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There has not been a meeting with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Hertsmere Borough Council or Hertfordshire County Council on local government re-organisation. Officials do meet regularly with councils and following receipt of my 5th February letter of invitation to submit reorganisation proposals all councils in Hertfordshire will be invited to a meeting with departmental officials.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with Hertsmere Borough Council on local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There has not been a meeting with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Hertsmere Borough Council or Hertfordshire County Council on local government re-organisation. Officials do meet regularly with councils and following receipt of my 5th February letter of invitation to submit reorganisation proposals all councils in Hertfordshire will be invited to a meeting with departmental officials.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 August 2024 to Question 1688 on Planning, what progress her Department has made on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Drafting of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill continues apace. We plan to introduce the Bill in Parliament in the coming months.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant of the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 9472, what progress her Department has made on supporting leaseholders at Horizon Place in Borehamwood affected by cladding remediation issues.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry continues to work with developers to ensure that buildings are remediated, at no cost to leaseholders, under the developer remediation contract. On 2 December, we published a joint plan to accelerate developer-led remediation and improve resident experience, as part of our wider published plan to accelerate remediation of all buildings. To date, 38 developers, including Vistry Group, have signed up to the joint plan and thereby committed to make every effort to start or complete remedial work on 80% of their buildings by July 2026 and on all of their buildings by July 2027.
Regarding buildings insurance, my officials continue to engage with industry on Horizon Place and understand that leaseholders should have seen a significant reduction in premiums from the most recent policy renewal. I understand that premiums remain unacceptably high for many leaseholders in buildings with fire safety issues, who have been paying too much for too long. My officials are therefore working with the insurance industry, as we announced in the Remediation Acceleration Plan, to consider whether, for the duration of remediation programme government might support industry to reduce fire-related liabilities, in order to reduce insurance bills.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to postpone local authority elections in Hertfordshire in 2025.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My letter to local councils of 16 December 2024 (here) set out that the Government would only consider postponing elections for areas where the council concerned requested it and where it helps an area to deliver reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeline. Hertfordshire County Council has not requested the postponement of their May 2025 elections and therefore I can confirm that those elections will go ahead as planned.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated 24 September 2024, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed reforms on the timing of the (a) submission and (b) adoption of Local Plans.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government inherited a planning system in which only 31% of local planning authorities have adopted plans in the last five years.
We are determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible, to progress towards our ambition of achieving universal plan coverage and ensure plans contribute positively to our ambition of delivering 1.5 million homes.
In our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), we set out changes to how we plan for the homes we need.
In drafting proposals for the consultation, we considered the impact upon plans at all stages of plan making. The proposed transitional arrangements aimed to strike a balance between maintaining the progress of plans at more advanced stages of preparation, while maximising proactive planning for the homes our communities need. They apply differently depending on what stage of preparation the plan has reached and the extent to which it is meeting the government’s housing growth aspirations. The transitional arrangements for plans will be confirmed when the revised NPPF is published.
As part of wider reforms, it is currently our intention to implement the new plan-making system as set out in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act from Summer or Autumn 2025. The new system will be simpler, faster, and shaped by the views of communities about how their area should evolve.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated 24 September 2024, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed reforms on Local Plans.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government inherited a planning system in which only 31% of local planning authorities have adopted plans in the last five years.
We are determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible, to progress towards our ambition of achieving universal plan coverage and ensure plans contribute positively to our ambition of delivering 1.5 million homes.
In our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), we set out changes to how we plan for the homes we need.
In drafting proposals for the consultation, we considered the impact upon plans at all stages of plan making. The proposed transitional arrangements aimed to strike a balance between maintaining the progress of plans at more advanced stages of preparation, while maximising proactive planning for the homes our communities need. They apply differently depending on what stage of preparation the plan has reached and the extent to which it is meeting the government’s housing growth aspirations. The transitional arrangements for plans will be confirmed when the revised NPPF is published.
As part of wider reforms, it is currently our intention to implement the new plan-making system as set out in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act from Summer or Autumn 2025. The new system will be simpler, faster, and shaped by the views of communities about how their area should evolve.