Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement of 6 December 2022, HCWS415, on Update on the Levelling Up Bill, what guidance his Department issues on whether the Planning Inspectorate can give substantial weight to that Statement when examining appeals of a refusal of permission for a development on green belt land in instances where there is not a currently adopted local plan and when housing need as calculated by the currently calculated housing targets cannot be demonstrably satisfied.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Due to the Secretary of State's role in the planning system, I cannot discuss the details of an individual Local Plan or comment on the acceptability or otherwise of individual sites. Nor can I comment on specific planning applications.
The proposals set out in the Written Ministerial Statement are now subject to public consultation, and are not at this time government policy. Any final policy changes will be confirmed once the National Planning Policy Framework is updated.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement entitled Update on the Levelling Up Bill, HCWS415, published on 6 December 2022, whether local authorities which are developing a draft local plan are able to exclude sites submitted by landowners, developers, agents and site promoters which are located on green belt.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Due to the Secretary of State's role in the planning system, I cannot discuss the details of an individual Local Plan or comment on the acceptability or otherwise of individual sites. Nor can I comment on specific planning applications.
The proposals set out in the Written Ministerial Statement are now subject to public consultation, and are not at this time government policy. Any final policy changes will be confirmed once the National Planning Policy Framework is updated.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will make it their policy to expand the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to give a legal right of public access to rivers, woods and green belt land.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We have no plans to change legislation as it is unnecessary to do so to encourage people to enjoy nature.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government which local authorities have submitted expressions of interest for Investment Zones; whether they will publish this information as a map; and which of these sites fall into (1) Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, (2) National Parks, and (3) the Green Belt.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We are assessing the proposals received through the recent Expression Of Interest process. Policy announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of new Investment Zones on legal protections for national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and green belt land.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Defra and DLUHC are working closely together on Investment Zone policy to support our growth objectives and maintain HM Government’s strong position on the environment. We are not weakening our environmental ambition either at home or abroad and remain committed to Net Zero by 2050 and delivering on the Environment Act, including setting a new legally binding target to halt the decline of species abundance in England by 2030.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of building housing on the site proposed for the Radlett Rail Freight Interchange in Hertsmere constituency.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Because of the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in the planning system, I cannot comment about the merits of particular plans or development proposals. It is for the local planning authority to consider the merits of any proposed development and any planning decision should be determined in accordance with the local development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. This would typically include an assessment of the site context and policies referred to in the National Planning Policy Framework, such as Green Belt, Local Green Spaces and other relevant designations.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government is taking to address local housing projections which are based on out-of-date numbers.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Existing Government policy is to help make home ownership affordable for more people and to help more people rent their own home. To do that, we will need to deliver more homes. The standard method for assessing local housing need is used by councils to inform the preparation of their local plans and, as part of the local plan process, Councils are responsible for determining the best approach to development in their areas, including taking into consideration important matters such as Green Belt.
The previous Government undertook a review of the standard method formula in 2020 and, after carefully considering consultation responses, they retained the existing formula providing stability and certainty for planning and for local communities. As with all policies, we are monitoring the standard method, particularly as the impact of changes to the way we live and work and levelling up become clear.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the Government's policy is on the calculation of new housing targets in local authorities which are predominately made up of Green Belt land.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Existing Government policy is to help make home ownership affordable for more people and to help more people rent their own home. To do that, we will need to deliver more homes. The standard method for assessing local housing need is used by councils to inform the preparation of their local plans and, as part of the local plan process, Councils are responsible for determining the best approach to development in their areas, including taking into consideration important matters such as Green Belt.
The previous Government undertook a review of the standard method formula in 2020 and, after carefully considering consultation responses, they retained the existing formula providing stability and certainty for planning and for local communities. As with all policies, we are monitoring the standard method, particularly as the impact of changes to the way we live and work and levelling up become clear.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he will take steps to protect the Green Belt in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
This Government has a manifesto commitment to protect and enhance the Green Belt. Our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that a local authority should not propose to alter a Green Belt boundary unless there are exceptional circumstances and it can show at examination of the Local Plan that it has explored every other reasonable option: including using brownfield land or optimising the density of development. Within Green Belt, most types of new building are questioned and should be refused planning permission unless there are very special circumstances, as determined by the local authority. These strong protections for Green Belt land are to remain firmly in place.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Government will take steps to prevent overdevelopment of Green Belt land in its future planning reforms.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
This Government has a manifesto commitment to protect and enhance the Green Belt. Our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that a local authority should not propose to alter a Green Belt boundary unless there are exceptional circumstances and it can show at examination of the Local Plan that it has explored every other reasonable option: including using brownfield land or optimising the density of development. Within Green Belt, most types of new building are questioned and should be refused planning permission unless there are very special circumstances, as determined by the local authority. These strong protections for Green Belt land are to remain firmly in place.