Asked by: Sally Jameson (Labour (Co-op) - Doncaster Central)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress she has made on considering the capital funding request from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The fiscal position means that there have been tough choices to get us back on the path to recovery. It is in this context that the department is considering the request made for funding by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.
I was pleased to meet with Andy Lock to discuss the outstanding work done by the organisation across Britain’s coalfields. I recognise that addressing the acute challenges faced by our coalfield communities will require greater partnership working between government and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, and I am committed to working in partnership with them to explore opportunities for collaboration.
This government remains committed to supporting our most disadvantaged communities. At Spending Review, we announced funding for up to 350 places. Of the 100 places announced, 15 are in coalfield areas. Details of the remaining places will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will take steps with (a) academies and (b) schools to introduce impact statements for large housing developments within their catchment area.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework recognises the importance of ensuring a sufficient choice of early years, school and post-16 places are available to meet the needs of existing and new communities and outlines that local planning authorities should take a proactive, positive, and collaborative approach to meeting this requirement, and to development that will widen choice in education.
The Framework further states that local planning authorities should give great weight to the need to create, expand or alter early years, schools, and post-16 facilities through the preparation of plans and decisions on applications, and work with early years, school and post-16 promoters, delivery partners and statutory bodies to identify and resolve key planning issues before applications are submitted.
In view of these existing provisions, the government has no plans to introduce separate requirements for impact statements for large housing developments.
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, whether her Department has issued guidance on the (a) siting and (b) appearance of statutory undertaker infrastructure on highway land; and whether she plans to ensure that (i) local authorities and (ii) residents can determine the placement of visible above-ground installations in residential neighbourhoods.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has not issued any such guidance.
The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.
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, whether her Department plans to review the scope of permitted development rights for above-ground utility infrastructure in residential areas; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring prior community consultation before such installations occur.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has not issued any such guidance.
The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East 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 she is taking to protect nature through the planning process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear about the importance of conserving and enhancing the natural environment.
Planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats, and hedgehogs.
We are considering using a new suite of national policies for decision making, which we will be consulting on later this year, to require swift bricks to be incorporated into new buildings, unless there are compelling reasons that preclude their use or that would make them ineffective. As an interim step ahead of the planned consultation, we published updated Planning Practice Guidance setting out how swift bricks are expected to be used in new developments.
Under the new statutory framework for Biodiversity Net Gain, every grant of planning permission (subject to some exemptions) is subject to the condition that the development must deliver at least a 10% increase in biodiversity value relative to the pre-development biodiversity value of the onsite habitat.
When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as barriers to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature. Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill introduces a new Nature Restoration Fund that will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond neutrality to unlock the positive impact development can have in driving nature recovery.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to protect bridleways in the context of changes to national planning regulations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should protect and enhance public rights of way and access, including taking opportunities to provide better facilities for users, for example by adding links to existing rights of way networks including National Trails.
The government will consult on a new suite of national policies for decision making later this year and as part of that exercise we will consider whether any changes are needed to policy relating to public rights of way.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered including child development in the planning process to encourage outdoor activities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) recognises that access to a network of high-quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the health and well-being of communities, including children.
The Framework is clear that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities, and opportunities for new provision, including places for children’s play.
In the revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 we strengthened the strong protections already in place by adding explicit reference to safeguarding “formal play spaces”. That means that facilities can be lost only where there is clear evidence they are no longer required, where equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location, or where development of the site is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 publish the regional allocation of (a) local authority housing and (b) affordable homes programme funds in the Spending Review 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes were delivered in (a) 2013-24 and (b) 2023-24.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The number of affordable homes delivered in each year since 1991-92 is published in Live Table 1000 on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 7.12 of her Department's publication, Local authority funding reform objectives and principles consultation: summary of responses published on 20 June 2025, whether she plans to set a higher council tax referendum threshold for councils with a Band D council tax below the notional council tax.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognised in its response to the consultation a number of respondents had requested increased council tax flexibility to reflect funding reform. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain the 3% threshold with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, in line with OBR forecasts. Final referendum principles will be confirmed at the local government finance settlement, subject to approval by the House of Commons, in the usual way.