Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling alms houses to access section 106 funding and Community Infrastructure Levy in the same way as housing associations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is up to local planning authorities to determine what contributions should be sought through Section 106 agreements, in line with statutory tests on their use set out in regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Regulations 2010.
Our consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework seeks views on whether changes are needed to the definition of ‘affordable housing for rent’ to make it easier for organisations that are not Registered Providers, including almshouses, to develop new affordable homes. This is intended to inform our approach to National Development Management Policies. The consultation, which closes on 24 September, is published at the following link.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether land allocated to (a) National Landscapes and (b) National Parks will be taken into consideration for housing requirements (i) generally and (ii) in Chichester District.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
National planning policy makes clear that land designated as National Landscapes and National Parks should be taken into account by local authorities when establishing a housing requirement for their area. Local authorities are expected to evidence and justify their approach through local plan consultation and examination.
In our consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, we made clear that land safeguarded by existing environmental designations, including National Parks and National Landscapes, will maintain its current protections.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what their policy is towards repurposing old buildings for housing, to help address the housing crisis.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have been clear that development must look to brownfield first, prioritising previously used land wherever possible. To support this, we propose a set of targeted changes in our consultation on reforms to the NPPF, published 30 July. These changes include an expanded definition of previously developed land, and changes to make clear that the default answer to brownfield development should be ‘yes’.
National planning policy also expects local councils to support efforts to identify and bring back into residential use empty homes and other suitable buildings.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have identified older buildings in each local authority area that could be adapted to provide housing.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have been clear that development must look to brownfield first, prioritising previously used land wherever possible. To support this, we propose a set of targeted changes in our consultation on reforms to the NPPF, published 30 July. These changes include an expanded definition of previously developed land, and changes to make clear that the default answer to brownfield development should be ‘yes’.
National planning policy also expects local councils to support efforts to identify and bring back into residential use empty homes and other suitable buildings.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the application by China to situate its embassy in a new site in London is expected to be determined; and whether they anticipate any delay to that process, and if so, why.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The planning application for a proposed new Chinese Embassy is currently with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The timing of determining the application is a matter for them as the local planning authority. No further comment can be made in respect of this, or any prospective scheme, as to do so may prejudice any future decision the Deputy Prime Minister in her role as Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government may need to make should this application come before her in the future.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the (a) number of homes that have been unlocked by the Housing Infrastructure Fund and (b) number and proportion of those homes that have (i) received planning consent, (ii) started on site and (iii) been completed as of 9 September 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The £4.2 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) is now fully allocated to HIF projects. As of the end of June this year, £1.8 billion had been drawn down by local authorities.
The Department estimates that HIF has unlocked c260,000 homes. Local Authorities report starts and completions on housing developments facilitated by HIF investment to Homes England and the Department. Based on these returns, c29,000 homes have been started of which c18,500 have been completed.
It should, however, be noted that these Local Authority returns are not verified by government and should not be regarded as official statistics.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, what steps they will take to ensure there is sufficient highways infrastructure to support housing growth given that the proposed reforms would introduce a high bar for refusing development on highways grounds.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are clear that transport infrastructure is crucial in enabling sustainable development and that necessary transport infrastructure should be delivered through developer contributions.
However, the current approach to transport planning is dated and for that reason, we set out proposals for a ‘vision-led’ approach in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation published on 30th July.
It remains the case that development should only be prevented or refused on highways grounds if there would be an unacceptable impact on highway safety, or the residual cumulative impacts on the road network would be severe.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the removal of the presumption of a five-year land supply for local authorities with an up-to-date local plan as part of the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework does not lead to a significant increase in speculative applications and planners' workload.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Our consultation on national planning policy delivers on our manifesto commitment to reversing the changes made to the NPPF in December 2023 that were detrimental to housing supply. These changes are an essential part of meeting our commitment to building 1.5m new homes. Alongside this, we have set out clear plans for improving the operation of the presumption and for boosting the capacity of LA planners.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of transit sites for Travellers in West Sussex.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites makes clear that it is the responsibility of local planning authorities to produce an assessment of need for traveller sites. This includes permanent and transit site accommodation needs. In February 2019, local authorities were reminded of their duties to assess the need for transit sites, in addition to permanent sites, through a Written Ministerial Statement.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that routes identified in Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans are considered by local planning authorities when (1) creating local plans, and (2) taking planning decisions.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As part of the ongoing government consultation ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other changes to the planning system’ which was launched on Tuesday 30 July, we are seeking views on proposed changes to the NPPF intended to support the provision of public infrastructure and to create sustainable, healthy communities.
Contributions from developers play an important role in delivering the infrastructure that local communities expect to see alongside new development. The Government will focus on improving the system of developer contributions.
The NPPF makes clear that plans should set out the contributions expected from development. This should include setting out the levels and types of affordable housing provision required, along with other infrastructure (such as that needed for health, open space, and transport). Plan-makers should work in collaboration with the local community, developers, and other stakeholders to create realistic, deliverable policies.
It is important that local planning authorities prepare, and keep up to date, a local plan as the primary basis for identifying what development is needed in an area. This helps ensure that local strategies to improve health and wellbeing and the provision of the required health infrastructure are supported and considered in plans (including in the preparation of strategic policies for community facilities) and in planning decisions.
Working with the advice and support of the Director of Public Health, plan-makers may also need to involve key groups in the local health and wellbeing system, including Health and Wellbeing Boards.
The Government is committed to promoting active travel and ensuring that routes identified in Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) are considered in planning decisions. Active Travel England (ATE), established as an executive agency within the Department for Transport, acts as a statutory consultee in the planning system, reviewing active travel provisions in major planning applications to ensure they align with the standards and principles set out in national design standards. This ensures that new developments support and enhance active travel routes identified in LCWIPs.