Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help strengthen alternative grounds for landlords to regain possession of properties once no-fault eviction notices are abolished.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Renters (Reform) Bill, introduced into Parliament on 17 May 2023, will deliver a fairer, more secure, and higher quality private rented sector for both tenants and landlords.
Good landlords play a vital role in providing homes for millions of people across the country. While we will deliver the manifesto commitment to end Section 21 'no fault' evictions, we will introduce comprehensive, fair and efficient grounds for possession to ensure landlords have confidence they can regain possession when it is reasonable.
We will reform possession grounds to expedite landlords' ability to evict those who disrupt neighbourhoods through anti-social behaviour and introduce a new ground for persistent rent arrears. We will also ensure landlords are able to sell or move back into their property if needed.
These improvements strike the right balance between ensuring landlords can gain possession of their property when it is right for them to do so, and improving security for tenants.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to provide residents with increased powers over planning decisions in their communities.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Further to the Secretary of State’s statement, UIN HCWS415, of 06 December 2022, our reforms to the planning system will enhance the opportunities for community involvement, ensuring development is brought forward in a way that works best for local people. We will improve the process for producing plans so that it is simpler, faster and easier for communities to engage with. There will be clear opportunities to get involved at key stages in the process, made easier by plans themselves being shorter with more accessible documents.
In addition, we are seeking new powers to introduce 'neighbourhood priorities statements'. These will provide communities with a way to determine priorities for their area and formally input into the local plan. We are also seeking new powers to introduce a new 'street votes' system. This will allow residents to propose development, such as extensions to existing homes, on their street and vote on whether it should be given planning permission.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to take steps to tackle the levels of (a) borrowing and (b) capital risk at Eastleigh Borough Council.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government announced that it is legislating to provide appropriate powers to address instances of excessive risk from local authority borrowing and investment. The Department regularly engages with local authorities about their financial management and related policies. As part of engagement with the sector on the new capital measures, we are engaging with a small number of local authorities, including Eastleigh Borough Council, who may be most affected. My department will continue to work with them to understand their plans for reducing their levels of risk ahead of the legislative measures coming into effect, and we expect Eastleigh Borough Council and similar local authorities to engage with us throughout this process.