Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to allow local authorities to charge property developers council tax on land with planning permission on which buildings have not been constructed within a reasonable time.

We are clear that sites which are granted planning permission should be built-out as quickly as possible. We believe the best way to achieve faster build out is for developers and authorities to work closely together, at a local level, to overcome any barriers to development. In addition the government is already taking steps to tackle delays in build out, for example, by taking forward measures through the Neighbourhood Planning Bill to improve the use of planning conditions. We have also launched the £3 billion Home Building Fund, a fund which will provide loans for SME builders, custom builders and offsite construction, and which will unlock large sites throughout England. Introducing financial penalties, such as additional council tax for slow build carries risks of unintended consequences, such as deterring applications on sites with marginal viability.