Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rachel Maclean and Laurence Robertson

Monday 27th March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

10. What steps he is taking to help ensure that planning authorities prioritise housebuilding on brownfield sites; and if he will make a statement.

[The Minister of State, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Rachel Maclean)]

This Government are committed to making the most of brownfield land. The national planning policy framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should give “substantial weight” to using suitable brownfield land, and through our brownfield funds we are investing significantly in supporting redevelopment and release of brownfield sites for housing. We have also committed to launching a review to identify further measures that would prioritise the use of brownfield land.

--- Later in debate ---

[Rachel Maclean]

My right hon. Friend is doing a superb job of pushing forward affordable homes for her constituents in Chelmsford, and we are wholly committed to that shared agenda. Since 2010, over 829,000 households have been helped to buy a home by Conservative Governments. That is a massive achievement. However, it is vital to prioritise brownfield sites such as those in Chelmsford, and we recently consulted on proposed policies to further encourage the use of those small sites. I am happy to meet her to discuss that further.

[Mr Robertson]

Does the Minister agree that prioritising brownfield sites is important particularly to take the pressure off small villages, which face many speculative planning applications and do not have the infrastructure to support them?

[Rachel Maclean]

I know my hon. Friend expresses the concerns of his constituents who live in those villages in the Tewkesbury area. That is why we have already introduced range of policy and funding initiatives to support the development of brownfield land. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill will go much further to empower local leaders to regenerate those towns, cities and villages by introducing a new infrastructure levy, which will capture a higher land value uplift to enable more infrastructure to be delivered alongside housing.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rachel Maclean and Laurence Robertson

Monday 17th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Maclean]

I congratulate the right hon. Lady on her election to the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee. I look forward to responding to her in due course. She raises an important issue. It is important to say that specialist training is taking place through Operation Soteria and a number of other avenues. I am very happy come back to her or to write to her with those figures.

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

3. What progress she is making on removing failed asylum seekers from the UK; and if she will make a statement.