Asked by: Sam Carling (Labour - North West Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle repeated retrospective planning applications designed to delay enforcement action on projects which have already had permission rejected.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, local planning authorities have various powers to decline to determine planning applications. These include the power to decline to determine a retrospective planning application where an enforcement notice has already been issued (section 70C) and the power to decline to determine repeat planning applications (section 70A).
It is for local planning authorities to decide when and how they use these powers.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the government of China or its planning agents have submitted the full unredacted internal drawings for the proposed Chinese embassy.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Planning Inspector's Report was received by the Department on 10 June.
Following careful analysis of the report, the Secretary of State referred back to parties on a number of matters, including the redacted drawings, on 6 August. The reference back process is on-going.
Full reasons for the decision and a list of post-inquiry representations will be set out in the final decision letter.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish all correspondence from (a) her, (b) her ministers and (c) her officials to the Planning Inspectorate regarding the Chinese Embassy planning application.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 29 October in response to Question 84208.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that development firms meet their agreed affordable housing commitments in West Dorset.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure.
Alongside measures to deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units, we intend to take steps to create a simpler, more transparent, and more resilient S106 system.
As set out in the package of support for housebuilding in London announced by the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London on 23 October, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government intends to clarify the use of Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 so that an application under this section to vary a condition of a planning permission should no longer be used as an alternative means of reconsidering fundamental questions of scheme viability or planning obligations.
We are also reviewing the planning practice guidance PPG on viability. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to table (a) new legislation and (b) amendments affecting (i) environmental-assessment requirements, (ii) biodiversity-related planning duties and (iii) the operation of Biodiversity Net Gain under the national planning infrastructure framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Questions UIN 74339 on 20 October 2025 and 84469 on 30 October 2025.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that development firms (a) meet national affordable housing targets and (b) do not reduce delivery on viability grounds.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure.
Alongside measures to deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units, we intend to take steps to create a simpler, more transparent, and more resilient S106 system.
As set out in the package of support for housebuilding in London announced by the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London on 23 October, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government intends to clarify the use of Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 so that an application under this section to vary a condition of a planning permission should no longer be used as an alternative means of reconsidering fundamental questions of scheme viability or planning obligations.
We are also reviewing the planning practice guidance PPG on viability. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of developers reducing affordable housing delivery on local housing need in West Dorset.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure.
Alongside measures to deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units, we intend to take steps to create a simpler, more transparent, and more resilient S106 system.
As set out in the package of support for housebuilding in London announced by the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London on 23 October, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government intends to clarify the use of Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 so that an application under this section to vary a condition of a planning permission should no longer be used as an alternative means of reconsidering fundamental questions of scheme viability or planning obligations.
We are also reviewing the planning practice guidance PPG on viability. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that telecommunications operators engaging in permitted development applications for 5G infrastructure adequately consult and engage with local communities, particularly in residential areas; and what guidance is provided to local planning authorities on assessing siting and appearance under permitted development rules.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Electronic communications code operators using permitted development rights are required to follow the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England.
The code has an important role in making sure that appropriate engagement takes place with local communities and other interested parties. Guidance on permitted development rights is available on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to give councils additional planning powers to help tackle unwanted uses such as barbers, vape shops and betting shops.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has no current plans to amend local planning authorities’ powers along the lines suggested.
The government is empowering communities to curate healthy, vibrant public spaces through the Pride in Place Strategy.
We have committed to introduce Cumulative Impact Assessments in respect of gambling licensing which will allow councils to take data-driven decisions on premises licences, particularly in areas that have been identified as being vulnerable to gambling-related harm.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his department has considered the potential merits of mandating a minimum distance of 1km between new Quarries and residential homes or schools.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The scale and form of quarries, and their potential impacts, can vary significantly. As such, it would be overly restrictive to introduce a blanket presumption against quarry development within 1km of residential homes or schools, particularly as minerals are a finite natural resource which can only be worked where they are found.
Important safeguards are in place when quarrying is proposed. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that in considering proposals for mineral extraction, minerals planning authorities should ensure that there are no unacceptable adverse impacts on the natural and historic environment, human health or aviation safety, and take into account the cumulative effect of multiple impacts from individual sites and/or from a number of sites in a locality. They should also ensure that any unavoidable noise, dust and particle emissions and any blasting vibrations are controlled, mitigated or removed at source, and establish appropriate noise limits for extraction in proximity to noise sensitive properties.
Where issues are identified through the planning process, the imposition of planning conditions can assist in mitigating impacts to acceptable levels.